Dale Warrander will be going for a hat trick of recent marathon victories when he tackles the adidas Auckland Marathon on Sunday.
Warrander won the Rotorua Marathon in May in 2h 26m 54s and last month was a clear winner of the Lydiard Legend Marathon at Waitakere in 2h 30m 1s.
The Auckland marathon also doubles as the New Zealand championship for 2010. Warrander has won the national title twice, in 2004 at Rotorua and in 2006 based on the Auckland event in 2h 17m 43s. He also won in Auckland in 2004 and had wins in the Auckland half marathon in 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008.
The Athens Olympian has his eye on a time of 2h 17m again.
"If the conditions hold up I definitely will be going for a 2h 17m qualifier for the marathon world cup next year," said Warrander.
"I will try and go through half way in 68m 30s. It's going to be harder cause I'll probably be running by myself – I don't know if the other guys are going to go out that hard," he added.
"If I can get through it feeling comfortable through that first half, I think it's possible to get into a good rhythm, like I did previous times and try and do it, so that's my aim."
Based on his recent form Warrander should be untroubled throughout the 42.2km journey from Devonport across the harbour bridge and the out and back run along Tamaki Drive to the finish at Victoria Park in the City.
The 37 year old who is based on the Gold Coast completed four months of intensive training with Australian marathon representative Michael Shelley. In only his second marathon Shelley won the silver medal at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2h 15m 28s. The training also paid off for Warrander with a slashing run in the New Zealand road relay championships in Inglewood and a superb 10km in Pakuranga two weeks ago winning the New Zealand road title in 29m 39s.
Competition for Warrander should come from Phil Costley, Scott Winton, Ben Ruthe, Gavin Stevens, Sjors Corporaal and if he starts Sam Wreford.
Winton won in Auckland in 2003 and he won the half marathon in 2006. Last year on the Gold Coast Winton finished eighth in the marathon in 2h 23m 46s. Wreford ran an outstanding 2h 19m 17s last month to win the Dunedin marathon. Stevens aged 54 was third last year and fourth in 2008. Four months ago in the Christchurch marathon Stevens was sixth in 2h 34m 5s. Ruthe won the Auckland marathon in 2008 in 2h 28m 11s. Corporaal, a pig hunter from Murupara, is one of the best off road runners in the country. Costley from Christchurch is a regular campaigner in the Auckland marathon having won in 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2005.
Shireen Crumpton of Dunedin will be defending the national women's marathon title that she won in Invercargill in November last year. Crumpton will be challenged by Ady Ngawati of Whangarei, a twice winner in Auckland in 2007 and 2008.
Also In the women's field is 38 year old Eliza Mayger from Darwin Australia. In 2008 Mayger competed in the Boston Marathon finishing 14th in 2h 47m 36s and in the New York Marathon finishing 49th in 2h 55m 26s.
Last year's half marathon winner Matt Smith has returned and should have a good battle with fellow Canterbury runner Rowan Hooper in the half marathon. Hooper won the full marathon last year in 2h 31m 44s. Stephen Lett, winner of Arthur's half marathon in Waitakere last month, is also entered.
Interest in the women's half marathon will centre on Chris Pilone coached athletes Danielle Trevis and double silver medallist from the Delhi Commonwealth Games Nikki Hamblin. Hamblin finished second in the half marathon last year in 1h 16m 38s and Trevis set a race record of 32m 41s in winning the national 10km road title at Pakuranga two weeks ago. Also in the women's half marathon is five times previous winner Sarah Christie of Wellington, as well as Gabrielle O'Rourke, Kellie Palmer, Sarah Biss and Alex Williams.
Brett Tingay and his partner Fiona Crombie from Christchurch will be going for four years in a row in their respective men's and women's quarter marathons.
The marathon starts from King Edward Parade Devonport at 6.10am and the half marathon from the same area at 7.00am. The quarter marathon starts from Gaunt Street in the City at 6.45am. All events finish in Fanshawe Street alongside Victoria Park.
