Golfers fit for marathon course

August 13, 2010

Media Release

Golfers fit for marathon course

If you thought your local golf course was a long enough stroll at around 5km, spare a thought for an Auckland foursome next week – they face an 800km marathon.

After months of intensive training, Institute of Golf colleagues Craig Dixon, Guy Wilson, Jonny Gladwell and Jamie Milne down golf tools to tackle a charity relay-run from Auckland to Wellington.

Entitled Many Miles for Mary, in honour of Milne’s late grandmother, the epic event will see the team from the institute’s Albany HQ slog out alternate daily segments of up to 140km from August 16-21.

Their aim is to raise awareness and money for their chosen charities – The Heart Foundation, the Child Cancer Foundation, the Cancer Society and Kidsline – and also highlight the importance of fitness in a sport traditionally perceived as requiring very little.

Dixon, the institute’s director of instruction, kicks off proceedings on Monday at 6am with the 27km first leg from Albany to Penrose, which includes a short treadmill stint on the Devonport ferry.

Gladwell, an institute physiotherapist, follows, then Wilson, an instruction director, with fitness coach Milne taking the torch into Huntly around 6pm on Monday evening.

Leg two on Tuesday finishes in Tokoroa, followed by Wednesday’s leg to Turangi, Taihape (Thursday), Foxton (Friday), with all the runners scheduled to cross the finish line outside Parliament in the capital on Saturday, August 21, around 4pm.

To help fundraise and raise awareness en-route, an equally dedicated educational team, headed by the institute’s director of physiotherapy Brad Takai, will travel ahead of the runners, visiting schools, golf clubs, and other groups/supporters.

For more information on the course, where to join in, and how to donate, visit www.manymilesformary.co.nz

Ends.

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