20-07-2025
Chch runner seeing the world one marathon at a time
Few in Christchurch's running scene can claim to be more well-known than Oska Baynes. A six-time national half-marathon champion, Baynes is now shifting his focus to the full marathon distance. Sam Coughlan catches up with him.
It might be winter, but Oska Baynes is out pounding more than 150km of tarmac every week.
The 34-year-old is one of New Zealand's most accomplished long-distance runners, with six national half-marathon titles under his belt, and has recently pivoted more into the full 42.2km event.
His ruthless training schedule, normally getting through two workouts every day, goes hand-in-hand with his role as owner of shoe store The Frontrunner Colombo.
But things could have turned out very differently.
Baynes only took up running at 16 while at St Andrew's College, struggling with his personal life at school and at home.
'Most of us teenagers with a broken home probably struggle with stuff. Then you throw yourself into a pressure cooker, private school, elite environment,' he said.
'I didn't have the emotional maturity, the social maturity, and if you don't have that structure it can often come out in negative ways. I probably let myself down numerous times with my actions.'
It took a helping hand from his maths teacher, former Commonwealth Games representative and 33-time national champion Phil Costley, to steer him on the right path.
'He (Costley) was consistent, I didn't have a lot of that consistency.
'Year 11, 12, and 13, I needed that consistent, unconditional male role model.'
Costley's influence was hugely important for the young Baynes.
"It wasn't even discipline. It was just, 'Sunday morning we're going for a run', and it meant I didn't go out Saturday night,' he said.
'I didn't play up or I didn't want to let him down. In the end, I think that's probably what it boils down to.
"He was probably one of three teachers at school that, if they weren't there, I wouldn't have bothered turning up. The situation could have been quite different.'
Baynes talks a lot about consistency. His daily routine is rigid but purposeful, centred around training and family.
'My priority at the beginning and end of every day is family – non-negotiable. So (spending time with) my 10-month-old son and my wife from when I get up at six until I leave the house at 7.30, quarter-to-eight.'
He trains from 8-9.30am, works in the shop until 5pm and trains again in the evenings before heading home to spend the remainder of the day with his family.
'My (nine-year-old) daughter and I, at the moment we're learning to speak German,' he said.
'We sit up in the evenings for an hour-and-a-half and we talk to each other about our day. Then I pop her to bed at eight, maybe spend an hour with my wife if she's still up, half an hour to myself, and I'm sleeping at 9.30.'
Having spend the majority of his career focusing on the half-marathon, winning numerous national titles and representing New Zealand at the world championships in Latvia in 2023, his training at the moment is all about the marathon.
Baynes said his goal is to travel and experience new sights – while lowering his personal best time – 2hr 16min – and he believes he can shave off three to four minutes.
'I want to see how fast I can run over a marathon, that's the carrot keeping me going,' he said.
'I want to see if I can go to Frankfurt, or Osaka, or Vienna, or Valencia or wherever I want to go, and use running as an opportunity to see some places.
'We'll try and make that happen at some point next year.'
In May he won the Christchurch Marathon for the second time, coming home in 2hr 20min.
It wasn't his fastest time, but the home crowd made it memorable.
'Everyone you run past when you come into the last 300 (metres), people are seven deep, both sides. And when you're winning by six minutes, you can take your time to soak it in,' Baynes said.
There were man familiar faces – people he had met through running circles or helped at the store.
Baynes has owned The Frontrunner since 2016 and recently opened a second store in Nelson.
'Everyone knows everyone. What I will remember is that we've influenced and we've helped and we've cared for all of those people.
'The marathon recap said there might have been 15,000 people out supporting, and for all of those people, we will have helped them or helped someone they know over the last decade. It was really amazing being there.'
Baynes said the key to running is to find a way to make it exciting, whether that is going out with friends or something else.
'Running is boring. Ultimately it sucks, right? It's the same bullshit two hours a day.
'If you're a kid, or even an adult, make it fun.
'You do it for long enough, you'll find it's two degrees, sideways rain, and you're up on the Summit Rd with four of your mates on a Sunday morning laughing at each other about how f***ing stupid you are.'
Next up for Baynes is a marathon in Japan in February, with Frankfurt also in his sights for October.
'I'll be knocking on the door of 36 then, so we'll see how much patience my wife has.'
