Record Turn Out & Defending Champions

Record Turn Out & Defending Champions in Christchurch

A record field of more than 4000 runners will line up for Sunday’s SBS Marathon in Christchurch, among them the Australians who dominated last year’s race. Those champions are hopping across the ditch again, but also making the trip to Christchurch is a host of top Kiwis, some of them previous winners of the annual Queens Birthday Weekend event.

New Plymouth’s Dale Warrander was the exception to the rule last year. He was the Kiwi who saved the day from an Australian clean-sweep in the SBS Marathon Event. Aussies won the men’s and women’s full marathon and the women’s half marathon. But Warrander dominated the men’s half marathon from start to finish and is hoping to do the same again this weekend.

The several times New Zealand champion and New Zealand representative returns as favourite for the Half Marathon, but lining up beside him will be the 2006 runners-up, Aucklanders Scott Winton and Ben Ruthe, plus local Christchurch standouts Mark Bailey and Matt Ingram.

Warrander is a proven performer on the flat, fast Christchurch course. He won here in 2004 as well as last year, but a persistent injury problem and a fast field could stand in his way. Warrander has been juggling a shin problem in recent weeks and will be looking to nurse his way to a win, rather than attacking the national record as originally planned. Last year’s runner up, Auckland’s Scott Winton, will be looking to go faster than his 1:05 for second place last year, and 2005 SBS Half Marathon winner Mark Bailey has been enjoying his best form ever, recently breaking the record in Christchurch’s prestigious Rossendale 15k Road Race.

But it’s Tauranga’s Ben Ruthe who could be one to watch. The former four-minute miler managed fifth here last year in what was his first ever half marathon. Coached now by his father-in-law, former English and New Zealand representative Trevor Wright, he has trained better than ever for the 2007 race. Warrander might be the odds-on favourite, but if Ruthe is anywhere near him in the last mile, then change your bets.

While Ben Ruthe will be trying to pull off an upset win, his wife Jessica will be trying to erase her bridesmaid tag in the women’s half marathon. In 2005 she was second behind Nina Rillstone’s NZ record win (1:10:49) and last year ran a few seconds faster but still finished second behind Australian Kate Smyth. Last year she almost caught Smyth only to have the Australian Commonwealth Games marathoner find a second wind in the last 3k. So this year Ruthe will be looking to stay with her right from the gun.

Also in the mix will be former Auckland and Rotorua Marathon winner Tracey Clissold and Auckland youngster Lara Phillips. Clissold’s marathon strength could come into play if the two favourites end up racing each other into the ground. But it is Phillips who could prove the dark horse.

The American-born Kiwi citizen has gone unbeaten on the domestic distance running scene this year, winning several major cross country races and the Huntly Half Marathon. The former American High School standout moved to Auckland last year to attend university. Coached by 1960 Olympic marathon bronze medallist Barry Magee, the only thing counting against the 21 year old could be experience as she lines up for only her second half marathon ever.

The race to watch this year, however, could be the men’s full marathon. Australia’s Jeremy Horne is returning to defend his title from last year, but the former Australian champion will have to run much faster for the top spot this time around. Lining up against the Sydney-sider will be Commonwealth Games marathoner Craig Kirkwood, who dominated last month’s Rotorua Marathon with little more than a training effort.

Kirkwood had a best marathon time of 2hrs 13min and is looking to run 2hrs 18min in Christchurch to qualify for the world marathon championship later this year.

In contrast to the men, the women’s full marathon is wide open after the withdrawal of Australia’s Kate Seibold-Crosby, who won the full distance in Christchurch last year. Favourites are Dunedin runners Sarah Chisnall and Tania Smellie. Chisnall has the fastest time of 2hrs 43min, while Smellie finished third in last year’s SBS Marathon. But chasing them will be Canterbury’s Tracey Crossley and Aucklanders Lesley Turner and Fluer Bromley. Turner and Bromley finished second and third in last month’s Rotorua Marathon and will be looking to jump up to the top step of the podium in Christchurch’s SBS Marathon.

Organisers are expecting a record field of more than 4000 runners to line up outside the Christchurch Town Hall on Sunday. This year’s full marathon takes centre stage with a new-look route that is safer, more scenic, more sheltered, has more spectators, and has less camber and better surfaces. As incredible as it seems, New Zealand’s fastest marathon course might have got even faster.

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