Competitive field lines up for National Half Marathon Champs

14 February 2013

Competitive field lines up for National Half Marathon Champs

A competitive field is lining up in the ISC Lenco Half Marathon this Sunday, as part of AMI Round the Bays. The flat course with a good road surface promises an exciting race between top New Zealand runners.

The Sport Wellington-organised event is scheduled as the Athletics New Zealand National Half Marathon Championships and as such attracted a record field of 2,500 entrants.

Athletics New Zealand has listed a group of leading challengers in the half marathon: Stephen Lett (Auckland), the 2011 national half marathon champion; Dougal Thorburn (Wellington); Rowan Hooper (Canterbury); Rees Buck (Wellington); and the New Zealand marathon champion Tony Payne (Auckland) are the leading contenders for the half marathon title. Also in the masters grades Grant McLean M45-49 is expected to feature amongst the top finishers.

Alex Williams (Canterbury) should add the half title to the full marathon national crown won in Auckland last October. Williams has a best half of 1h 17m 40s in Buller last year. Giving plenty of competition to Williams will be Gabrielle O’Rourke (Wellington) who has a best of 1h 17m 52s from the Wellington ISC race last year. Victoria Jackson (Wellington) third in the Auckland marathon in 2010 will also be up with the leading pace.

Todd Stevens Chairman of Athletics Wellington says he’s expecting the race at the front. “They’re all top athletes and this reflects the quality of the event. Heat won’t be an issue but the only negative we can’t control will be wind.

“It’s a superb, dead flat course and these runners will make the most of it,” says Todd.

The 2012 half marathon was taken out by Kenyan runner Kip Kemei in 1hr 7min 49sec.

Last year’s 7km fun run winner, Martin van Barneveld, is looking to repeat his scorching time of 19min 36sec to take line honours again.

One of the top contenders for the half marathon, Dougal Thorburn, set the Guinness World Record for the 10km baby buggy push in October, in Dunedin. He pushed two-year-old daughter Audrey in blustery conditions in a time of 32:26, slicing two minutes of the previous record time.

For further information please visit www.sportwellington.org.nz

ENDS

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