Latest news with #RotoruaMarathon
NZ Herald
05-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
On the Up: Rotorua teacher credits marathon success to local group
More than 7000 people entered the men's and women's races as part of the Rotorua Marathon event on Saturday. The year's event, the 61st Rotorua Marathon, had a new finish line in the heart of the newly redeveloped Rotorua Lakefront precinct with a grand final stretch down Eat Streat and finishing outside the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside. Liley, a father of two and teacher of 24 years – currently teaching Year 2 pupils at St Mary's Catholic School – trained for his first marathon six years ago. All was going well, until he got sick two weeks before the big event and 'chickened out' but still managed to complete the half marathon. 'As soon as I finished, I instantly regretted not going all in.' That feeling stuck – so this year Liley was back for redemption. He entered this year's event. He only just managed to fit in the training, either in the early hours of the morning or late evenings just before dark. Training through a house sale, work and parenting was a juggle, but with help from Browne and the crew at Jogging the Powerpoles, he made it work. He admitted he made a few rookie mistakes – including being the king of tripping in the Redwoods and thinking it was okay to skip stretching, which he now knew was a mistake. He's also learned not to skimp on nutrition. 'I had one big run with insufficient protein afterwards, and I was the grumpiest teacher in town the next day. 'Sometimes I catch myself watching other people run and suddenly hear Kerris in my head, advising on running technique and posture.' He has learned a lot, too. 'Once, I rubbed my legs in magnesium and wrapped them in clingwrap and it looked utterly ridiculous – I genuinely thought Kerris was pranking me. Joke was on me though, because it worked a treat for my sore muscles.' In the back of his mind, he knew he had to complete his goal. 'I don't want to be the guy who pulled out again. Telling others 'I'm doing this' keeps me accountable. Once you say it out loud, you've got to follow through.' Liley completed his goal of crossing the line in under six hours: five hours and 50 minutes. And, true to Jogging the Powerpoles ritual, he enjoyed a cream doughnut at the finish line. His advice was to do it now and join a group. 'There's no way I could have done it without the support of the group.' He said Jogging the Powerpoles was inspiring, from beginners to Ironman legends. 'It was also the best decision I made for my mental health. Nothing beats that post-long-run buzz when you realise: 'I just ran that far'.' Jogging The Powerpoles' next winter trail muster for beginners is 8am on June 8 at Waipa carpark.
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Kaden Young tackles Rotorua Mini Marathon in Crocs
At the finish line, Kaden's mum was waiting with his running shoes in a bag, having hoped she could have caught him among the masses before his race got under way. But for the 11-year-old Kaharoa School pupil, the Crocs did just fine. The puffed youngster told the Rotorua Daily Post as he crossed the finish line he barely noticed the difference. 'I realised when I got to school I'd forgotten my shoes because I forgot I had mini marathon today.' The Matthews Sport Vision Kids' Mini Marathon is part of the official Red Stag Rotorua Marathon and started in 2010. Children from across Rotorua schools run 2.2km of the 42.2km Rotorua Marathon course – experiencing the glory of running down the finishing chute to the cheers of parents and supporters. Children are given 'marathon passports' when they register and are asked to spend the weeks leading up to the event ticking off 1km at a time as part of their training, aiming to reach 40km. They run the final couple of kilometres in the mini marathon event – giving them the feel of completing a marathon distance. This year, the children were sent on a different course, starting and finishing outside Rotorua Lakeside Hotel, running along the Rotorua Lakefront, past Wai Ariki Hot Springs and Spa, towards the Government Gardens and back along Whakaue St towards the finish line on Tūtānekai St. Athletics New Zealand event manager Keegan McCauley said the great weather and the new course design helped make for an awesome day out. 'It's good to keep the kids active and enjoying running, and it's an opportunity to run down the finish chute that maybe their mums and dads might be doing at the weekend. Hopefully, they feel inspired to have a greater involvement in the sport of athletics and running.' Keano Cunningham, 11, from Rotorua Intermediate School, said the marshals did a great job of showing them where to run to ensure no children got lost. He said he had done the mini marathon several times before but loved this course as he got to see more sights, including Wai Ariki and the Lakefront. Aaleyah Hill, 10, from Glenholme School, is normally a rugby and league player but liked the opportunity to get out for a run. 'It was tiring but it was fun and I liked it very much.' Te Maania Ngamoki-Hohepa, 9, from Whangamarino School. also used the opportunity for some pre-season league and rugby training. She said she liked this course better because it provided more shade than in previous years. 'It was tiring but good at the same time.' The weekend's racing starts on Saturday from 7.45am at Whangamarino School for the half marathon and 8am at Government Gardens for the full marathon, followed by shorter distance races.
NZ Herald
01-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Rotorua Marathon 2025: New Lakefront finish announced, Marae to Marae relay returns
'With entertainment, food, and community all in one place, it's set to be one of the most memorable finishes in the event's storied history' The Marathon starts at 8am on Saturday from the Government Gardens and takes in a historic lap of the lake. Rotorua local Michael Voss returns to defend his Rotorua Marathon title and last year's runner-up Cullen Thorby is set to challenge. Daniel Balchin will also be one to watch, coming into the race with a 2:22.25 best from Auckland in 2022. Billie-Lee Haresnape finished third in the 2022 edition of the event and returns in 2025. Also in the top contenders is Rachel O'Brien who finished 4th in 2024 with a strong 3:10.21 performance and Angela Hancock who enters with a best of 2.58.49 from Sydney Marathon in 2024. This year the event also hosts the 2025 NZ Master's Marathon Championships. Thousands of tamariki take over the lakefront Beginning the action on Friday morning, more than 2400 tamariki will lace up for the Matthews Sport Vision Kids' Mini Marathon. Covering 2.2km along the Rotorua Lakefront, the event brings together students from dozens of local schools for kids of all ages to get active and involved. Te Arawa Marae to Marae Relay returns The Te Arawa Marae to Marae Relay returns on Saturday, for the first time since the 1990s. Featuring more than 25 teams and 900 participants, the relay takes in 10 stages across key sites around Rotorua, including eight marae and two awa (rivers). Each team is made up of about 30 runners of all ages. The relay begins at Te Papa-i-Ōuru Marae in Ōhinemutu, completes the iconic loop of the lake and finishes at the new Red Stag Rotorua Marathon event village. Whakarewarewa Forest hosts new 12km course A new addition to this year's schedule is the new Go Media 12km, which begins at Te Puia. Runners will start their journey near the Pohutu Geyser and finish at the event village at the Rotorua Lakefront. National titles on the Tarmac at Runway5 Saturday night ends with the Runway5 event at the Rotorua Airport runway. This 'fast and flat spectacle' will double as the New Zealand 5km Road Championships, drawing the country's top speedsters to battle it out under lights for national honours. In the people's 5km, runners take on the full length of the runway.
NZ Herald
26-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Rotorua school bus driver Te Arohanui Hira competing in his 40th Rotorua Marathon
Hira told the Rotorua Daily Post he had joined a walking group to bolster his training efforts. 'The handbrake's come up,' he said with a laugh. Hira said the people kept him coming back each year, including some he played rugby with 'back in my old days'. He also wanted to keep going for his friend Mason Tuhakaraina, who he used to run cross country with but died a couple of years ago. Hira said Tuhakaraina was buried at Ōhau, which was along the marathon course, and he normally stopped there 'for a couple of seconds'. Asked how many more marathons he would do, Hira said: 'I'm not going to stop. I think I'll just keep going.' He shared the same sentiment for his work and said he was 'not in a hurry to retire'. 'Definitely got the endurance' Ōpōtiki runner James Crosswell, 75, was training for his 48th Rotorua Marathon this year, running between 70 and 80km per week. Crosswell's goal was to run 51 Rotorua marathons after he made a promise to his friend Colin Smyth, who ran 50 Rotorua marathons before he died in 2015. Smyth holds the record for running the most Rotorua marathons. 'I promised him I would catch him.' Crosswell said he and Smyth were plumbers and drainlayers. 'We maintain there's something in the water – it's most unusual that you've got two plumbers running that many marathons. 'We've definitely got the endurance there.' Crosswell said the pair formed the Rotorua Marathon Survivors Club in 1993 for runners who had completed 15 Rotorua marathons. The club now had between 600 and 700 members, he said. Members would celebrate with a meal after the marathon, talk about the run, and give out spot prizes, he said. Crosswell said he ran 30km on Saturdays, 10km on Sundays and about 8km every second day, equating to between 70 and 80km every week. After a heart attack in 2019, he started wearing a pacemaker. 'All that you've got to do is just listen to your body. So I walk and run – I run a km and then walk 50m and then away you go again.' Crosswell said he worked as a plumber 'semi-fulltime' but after a shoulder injury a few months ago, he had not been able to work 'full on'. 'I'm too young to retire,' he said with a laugh. Te Arawa Marae to Marae relay returns A statement from the Red Stag Rotorua Marathon said it was bringing 'new energy' to this year's finish line. 'Runners will experience the energy and crowd support of running down the iconic Eat Street before concluding their journey at the new Red Stag Rotorua Marathon's finish line on Tutānekai St, in front of the Novotel Rotorua Lakeside.' The new Go Media 12km track would start at Te Puia, pass the Pōhutu Geyser and through the Whakarewarewa Forest before finishing at Novotel Rotorua Lakeside. A Rotorua Marathon press release said the Te Arawa Marae to Marae relay would return to Rotorua on May 3 for the first time since the mid-1990s. The relay would host registered Te Arawa Marae teams and their descendants. It would start from the Te Papa-I-Ōuru Marae in Ōhinemutu Village, with all teams finishing alongside marathon participants at the marathon's finish line. The relay 'in its evolved form' included 10 culturally significant stages, including visiting a minimum of 13 marae and two rivers situated around Lake Rotorua along the marathon course. More than 900 participants had registered. Te Papa Tākaro o Te Arawa chief executive Stevie Te Moni said the relay was a unique and Te Arawa-centric event that celebrated Te Arawa Iwi health and wellbeing. It also highlighted and reinforced Te Arawatanga with its people, Te Moni said.
