New Look Christchurch Airport Marathon

Christchurch Winner & Weather Welcomes New Look Christchurch Airport Marathon

The Christchurch Airport Marathon was welcomed back to the central city today when perfect weather, a huge spectator turn out and a fast new central city course produced fast times and fun times for the 35th anniversary of the South Island’s premier marathon event.

For the first time since the Christchurch earthquakes five years ago, the Christchurch Airport Marathon returned to its traditional home in the central city. Established in 1981, the annual Queen’s Birthday Weekend event had a built up to a record 5800 entries in 2010. But the regions earthquakes saw that drop to less than 4000, but today 5010 runners returned to the central city today, and the winners were as global as the 10 countries represented.

On a day full of Canterbury pride, a huge roar sounded when Christchurch’s own Callan Moody won the half marathon with a late charge over the final 5k.

With a full marathon, half marathon, 10k and Kids’ Mara’Fun, the Christchurch Airport Marathon has always been an event with something for everyone. But with national titles at stake it was the half marathon that took centre stage this year.

As the defending champion, Moody was among expected contenders, but it was Australians Steve Dineen and Jonathan Peters that were tagged as favourites for the 21.1 kilometres. And Peters did try to dominate with a startling early pace that saw him 10secs ahead after the first kilometre (passed in 2min 55secs) and 40secs ahead after 10k (passed in 30min 20secs).

Behind him a large bunch of Kiwi contenders were watching and waiting for someone else to take chase. They managed to hold the 31 year old to that 40secs for the next 5k, then, just as he did last year, Callan Moody went on the chase.

National medallists such as Malcolm Hicks (Akld), Aaron Pulford (Akld), Caden Shields (Dun), Jonathon Jackson (Akld), Dougal Thorburn (Wgtn), Moody’s flatmate Daniel Balchin (Chch) and Australian Steve Dineen tried to stay close. But Moody ran each of the final five kilometres faster than the previous to pass Peters as they rounded Christchurch Casino with 1k to go.

Whereas Jonathan Peters had run his fastest 3k at the start of the race, Moody saved his for the three kilometres that counted and smoked home to cross the Cathedral Square finish line with a huge grin and a personal best time 1hr 05min 13secs.

It was in Christchurch last year that Moody broke through on the national scene. After he won the 2014 Christchurch Airport Half Marathon he went on to national titles over cross country and 10k road. This year’s win also gave him the national half marathon title.

Behind Moody, Peters was rewarded for his bravery with a personal best of his own at 1hr 05min 25secs. Third and fourth place also logged personal best times, with Malcom Hicks (1:05:39) and Daniel Balchin (1:05:53) taking silver and bronze from the national championship while Aaron Pulford (1:06:15) held on for fifth, just ahead of Caden Shields.

While the men’s half marathon broke the heart of one Australian, the women’s half marathon went straight to the heart of another. Melbourne’s Milly Clarke was tipped as a pre-race favourite and didn’t disappoint. She went straight to the front of the New Zealand championship field and showed them a thing or two about how it’s done. New Zealand champions such as Lydia O’Donnell (Akld), Rachel Kingsford (Chch), Penny Peskett (Akld), Sally Gibbs (KatiKati), Fiona Crombie (Chch) and Clarke’s compatriot Tarli Bird all followed, with O’Donnell lasting longest. But at 10k Clarke had 15secs in hand and continued drawing away gradually to win by 31secs in a personal best time 1hr 14min 09secs.

As with the men’s race, Christchurch’s fast course and huge spectator turn out pushed the leading runners to fast times, with O’Donnell (1:14:40) and third placed Rachel Kingsford (1:14:56) both scoring best times. O’Donnell also took consolation in the national title ahead of Kingsford while fourth placed Penny Peskett nabbed bronze in 1hr 18min 03secs. Defending national champion, Sally Gibbs, claimed fifth overall but took consolation in winning the masters title ahead of last years overall half marathon winner Gabrielle O’Rourke (Wgtn).

While the half marathon produced close racing, the full marathon was a one-man race for Japanese winner Hirotaka Tanimoto, who led from start to finish. Aucklanders Tony Payne and Josh Maisey staying close through 10k. Tanimoto then passed halfway in a shade over 1hr 10min, with Payne a minute behind.

Payne had finished third here a year ago and looked like making something of a breakthrough today. But the lore of the marathon has it that the race doesn’t start until the final 10k and while Tanimoto steadily drew away to win by almost a kilometre, Payne would fail to finish.

Tanimoto had 3min in hand when he crossed the finish line. His time of 2hrs 24min 13secs was four minutes slower than his best, but he was happy with this first win in what is soon to be his new home country. The 30 year old sushi chef has been living in Australia, in the distance running hot-bed of Victoria, for the past two years but is moving to Wellington in a few months.

One who knows the marathon legend only too well is Nelson’s Phil Costley. The 45 year old has won here three times over an incredible 15 years, not to mention more than 30 national titles over various distances. And while he was never going to threaten the Japanese winner, in those final 10 kilometres Costley ran from fifth to second place in 2hrs 27min 27secs. At the other end of the age debate, 21 year old Aucklander Josh Maisey held on to third in a personal best time 2hrs 27min 52secs.

There is, of course, an exception to every rule. The exception in this year’s Christchurch Airport Marathon was debutant Alice Mason. The 27 year old Doctor in training has been a top performer since teenage years, winning national titles but also suffering injury issues. But today she ignored her competition – none other than five time Christchurch Airport Marathon winner Liza Hunter-Galvan – and paced herself to an impressive win.

Mason went through half way over a minute ahead of Dunedin’s Mel Aitken, with Hunter-Galvan 20secs further back in third. But while Mason was an unknown over the full 42.2k and Aitken, who was third in Christchurch last year, was on pace to run 10min faster than her previous best, Hunter-Galvan looked well placed to repeat her last three wins in Christchurch when she hit the front only in the final 5k.

Mason, however, impressed onlookers to hold even pace from start to finish. Passing halfway in 1hr 22min and then winning in 2hrs 45min 43secs. She looked glad to be finished, though, collapsing onto her back where she lay for several minutes until the minor place getters finished and pulled her to her feet.

Those place getters were a surprise too, with a delighted Aitken bounding across the finish line for second place in a personal best time 2hrs 49min 13secs. In third place Hunter-Galvan was less delighted to have her four year streak broken, but satisfied with a solid 2hrs 50min 39secs that was the fastest third place for more than 10 years. In fourth place, Klaartke Van Schie no doubt the best placed runner from Stewart Island in 2hrs 56min 53secs.

In other aces, Wanaka’s Oska Inkster Baynes won the 10k in 30min 21secs, more than a minute ahead of Matt Prest and Wayne Guest. Christchurch’s Nicki McFadzien was first woman in 33min 39secs.

ENDS

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