Dale Warrander clawed his way back into contention over the final five kilometres to collect his third New Zealand marathon title in Auckland Sunday morning.
At each of three feeding stations well into the second half of the race Warrander was unable to find his drink bottle allowing Sam Wreford to gain an advantage which Warrander had to fight back.
At 32km Wreford made a bid for victory building up a lead of 15 metres. However with 4km remaining Warrander put in a surge which carried him quickly into a commanding lead. He cut out the 5km between 35km and 40km in 15m 42s.
The 2004 Athens Olympian finished in 2h 19m 22s, 34 seconds ahead of Wreford.
Warrander said that he felt flat going into the race.
“I was feeling a bit flat – I didn’t feel great right from the start really. I started out and my legs felt a little bit tired, I’ve been doing some big miles and maybe I didn’t taper enough,” he said.
“I thought just stay relaxed but Sam put a lot of pressure on me, I take my hat off to him he ran a gutsy race and there were a few moments there where I was panicking a little bit.
“I missed a few drink stations which really got me psychologically and he made a couple of breaks as I was coming up to the drink stations trying to find my bottle,” he said.
Warrander said that he tried not to panic too much.
“I clawed my way back on to him and I knew if I was in contact in the last few k’s then I have a good chance of taking him. I back my pace at the end of a marathon and I got stronger in that last 5km in fact the last 5km was the best I felt the whole race,” he said.
The great double Olympic Games marathon gold medallist Abebe Bikila once said – ‘Fighters never think of losing they always go out on the assumption that the victory is always theirs’.
“I made that break with 5km to go and I just consolidated on that. Once I got that break I knew I had it,” said Warrander.
The 37 year old now has his sights set on a fast time in the Rotterdam Marathon next April where he hopes to qualify for the world championships next year in Korea.
Wreford was happy with his run saying it was ideal for his present level of fitness.
“I couldn’t really expect more – it’s probably a week and a half training after an injury, so I wasn’t flash going into it,” he said.
“So I just hung in there. A couple more weeks and I’ll be away.
“I struggled with the camber on the road a couple of times otherwise I love the 42 kilometres. It’s the first marathon I’ve actually had a full on race with anyone – my first real battle head to head with someone, its good experience,” said Wreford.
Four times previous winner Phil Costley of Christchurch, after a conservative start, came through well over the second half to claim third in 2h 24m 26s. Scott Winton 2003 winner was fourth in 2h 29m 40s with Japanese visitor Koji Tanaka from Tokyo running a personal best 2h 30m 3s for fifth. At the age of 54 Gavin Stevens just keeps churning out the marathons, his latest effort being seventh place in 2h 33m 43s.
Costley said he wasn’t sure what he was capable of.
“I haven’t sort of had a good build up and I’ve been a bit crook in the last week so I wasn’t sort of sure of what I could do.
“I did what I felt comfortable with in the first half and kept the other guys in sight and managed to work my way up to them. Scotty had a bit of a fumble at a drink station and that sort of broke everyone up and I managed to get away,” said Costley.
Once comfortably in third Costley said that he was just running for home.
“That conservative start allowed me to work a bit harder in the closing stages – experience, you can’t beat it can you?” he added.
Shireen Crumpton of Dunedin retained her national women’s title in a race record time of 2h 45m 51s beating previous record holder Ady Ngawati of Whangarei who was second in 2h 52m 12s. Victoria Jackson of Berhampore Wellington in her second marathon carved 16 minutes off her previous time finishing third in 2h 52m 45s. Jackson from Scotland, settled in New Zealand five years ago. Former Rotorua winner (2005) Mikki Williden of Auckland also set a personal best of 2h 55m 13s for fourth.
Crumpton, who lead after the first kilometre, said that she had a really tough day.
“Stomach wise I had three toilet stops which has never ever happened in the marathon, so I’m actually just happy to win.
“I felt really good, I still had lots in the tank, but it’s just a bit frustrating when you have to stop. It happened at 18km, 25km and 30km and then I had to dash to the toilet when I finished. It is very embarrassing running along looking for a toilet and hoping you’ll make it in time, I now feel for Paula Radcliffe,” said Crumpton.
After four marathons this year, Crumpton said that’s it for a while. Her next marathon will be in Boston next April.
Ngawati said that she knew, when they turned at St Heliers that Jackson was not far behind her.
“I was like, right I’m going to have to dig it in – I knew she was catching and I said to myself ‘come on Ady 4km to go you’ve got to push it’,” she said.
Ngawati said the conditions were perfect.
“Beautiful conditions, and I did want a faster time, I was on track at half way for that and then things turned pear shaped,” she added.
Danielle Trevis set a women’s half marathon race record of 1h 13m 8s beating Delhi Commonwealth Games double silver medallist Nikki Hamblin by just over three minutes. In a tight finish for the third place, Kellie Palmer got there in 1h 18m 25s two seconds ahead of Lisa Robertson with a further eight seconds to Alexandra Williams. Matt Smith made it two years in a row in the men’s half in 1h 6m 38s well clear of Stephen Lett and Rowan Hooper.
Trevis, who broke Crumpton’s record of 1h 15m 59s from last year, said that it was her first half marathon.
“I’ve done two two hour runs, that’s the most I’ve done. I was aiming for 1h 14m. Trevis said that she may tackle the national 10km championships in Tauranga on 4 January. Based on her 32m 41s 10km road time Trevis should break Sonia Barry’s New Zealand W19 record of 34m 4.6s, just 15 days before her 20th birthday.
Hamblin said that she knew that she was going out to run for second.
“Danielle is in just crazy form, 32 minutes for 10km a couple of weeks ago, I know I’m not in anywhere near shape to compete with that, so definitely pleased with my run,” said Hamblin.
“I think I was a little bit quicker than last year and after coming off doing nothing since Delhi it’s not too bad and hopefully it would kind of swing me back into training.
“This week I did a 70 minute run, so I knew I could kind of get around,” she added.
Her partner Cameron Holt run the full marathon finishing in 3h 16m 43s.
“Cam was running the marathon so I thought I might as well have a run while waiting for him.”
Smith said that he really enjoyed the race and the atmosphere that Auckland puts on for the event. Despite running 19 seconds slower than his winning time last year Smith said that he felt better.
“I’ve done a bit more training on the hills. The bridge is really nice, it’s kind of like the last hill, you know once you get to the top of the bridge you are then on the homeward spurt and also the way the start times are scheduled you start to meet a lot of the marathon runners on the bridge and they are always generous with giving us support as we come past - shout us on and it makes you really feel part of the whole experience of being in a big race with a lot of people all trying their best,” said Smith.
Brett Tingay and Fiona Crombie of Christchurch both made it four years in a row in the quarter marathon (10.55km) Tingay running 32m 20s to beat national secondary schools cross country champion Declan Wilson by over two minutes and Crombie recording 37m 30s in her race.
