With record entries, a record breaking winner and near perfect weather the Armstrong Motor Group Wellington Marathon confirmed its place among New Zealand's favourite marathon events.
A record 5020 runners and walkers from 13 countries enjoyed good weather and fast running for the annual marathon, half marathon, 10k and Kids' Magic Mile.
Racing was dominated by a battle for the New Zealand marathon title, with Wellington's own Dougal Thorburn finally winning a national championship after several near misses.
Thorburn didn't have it easy. A five strong bunch formed during the opening 10k around the scenic coastal course with Auckland's Stephen Lett and Palmerston North's Chris Sanson looking the most likely to challenge the Wellington doctor.
Lett came into the race with the fastest best time of 2hrs 26min and finished ahead of Thorburn in the Christchurch Half Marathon three weeks prior. So Thorburn had to put up one of the best races of his life to win the Armstrong Motor Group Marathon, setting a new course record by six minutes with 2hrs 25min 33secs.
"Wow, I felt really good out there the whole way really, said "Thorburn after crossing the line 87secs ahead of Lett.
"The first 30k felt so easy. We had a group early on, then I pushed it a bit and got away. About 30k I expected things to start getting tough. But in the last 10k we got a breeze behind us and I felt good all the way to the finish."
Behind Thoburn's national title, course record and personal best time, Stephen Lett clocked his second fastest marathon while Chris Sanson also slipped under 2hrs 30min for third in 2hrs 29min 38secs.
The southerly storms that lashed the country during race week also posed something of a challenge for full marathoners. Some of the flat, scenic coastal route was closed following the storm, which forced organisers, the Wellington Marathon Clinic, to add a 10k section in the middle of the roads they could run on.
Much like the men's, the woman's full marathon also saw the favourite take a tumble when Wellington's Katie Kemp outran three-time national marathon champion Shireen Crumpton by 86secs in 2hrs 53min 38secs. But in one for the books, Crumpton took home the national title because Kemp is not currently registered with a club.
This made Crumpton the first person to win four New Zealand marathon titles, but the champion was gracious in saying, "Katie was definite the strongest runner out there."
Kemp was, of course, the event's overall winner ahead of Crumpton and Auckland's Katrin Gottschalk. Her time was the second fastest ever seen in the Armstrong Motor Group Wellington Marathon behind only 2012 record breaker Sara Burgess, who ran 2hrs 48min 40secs.
In other racing the Wellington Scottish Athletics Club dominated proceedings with Tim Hodge shaking of two previous second placings in this race to out-class club mates James Richardson and Matt Dravitski by almost two minutes with a time of 1hr 09min 42secs.
The women's half marathon was a closer affair, but New Zealand-born Texan Liza Hunter-Galvan held off Auckland's Katie Wright and Wellington's Angela Leck to win by 45secs in 1hr 20min 26secs. The 43 year old Hunter-Galvan also claimed the veteran honours in record time.
The 10k event also saw a record win with 1500m specialist Matt Harris blazing the last kilometre for a 25sec win over fellow Wellingtonian Jesse Patel in 31min 21secs. Among women, the ever-green Gabrielle O'Rourke was 70sec clear of Wellington's Jean Kozyniak and Charlotte Haina in 36min 37secs.
Hidden in the mid-pack were several standout performers. Auckland's Kelvin Fitness set a new record in the 70-plus age group, but second and third place Stan Gawler from Christchurch and Barry Boston from Taumarunui became the first ever 80 year olds to finish the Armstrong Motor Group Marathon.
Results: Armstrong Motor Group Wellington Marathon
10k Run – Women Overall
1. Gabrielle O'Rourke F40-49 Wellington 0:36:37
2. Jean Kozyniak F00-19 wellington 0:37:48
3. Charlotte Haina F20-39 Wellington 0:38:18
4. Olivia Ritchie F00-19 Hamilton 0:38:37
5. Hinano Sefesi F20-39 Wellington 0:38:45
6. Michelle Van Looy F40-49 Wellington 0:40:35
7. Susannah Lynch F00-19 Porirua 0:40:40
8. Ayesha Shafi F20-39 Wellington 0:41:08
9. Tineke Hooft F50-59 Porirua 0:42:39
10. Karin Muir F20-39 Wellington 0:42:43
10k Run – Men Overall
1. Matt Harris M20-39 Te Aro 0:31:21
2. Jesse Patel M20-39 Lower Hutt 0:31:46
3. Chris McIlroy M20-39 Lower Hutt 0:33:34
4. Luke O'Donnell M20-39 Lower Hutt 0:33:53
5. Julian Baker M20-39 Wellington 0:34:19
6. Hassan Roble M20-39 Wellington 0:34:19
7. Edwin Crossling M20-39 Wellington 0:35:27
8. Peter Stevens M40-49 upper hutt 0:35:54
9. Alasdair Saunders M20-39 Wellington 0:36:15
10. Anthony Wicks M20-39 Wellington 0:36:28
10k Walk – Women Overall
1. Courtney Ruske F00-19 Christchurch 0:52:38
2. Sharon Crooks F40-49 Pahiatua 1:02:53
3. Bridget Wade F40-49 Palmerston North 1:03:10
4. Katie Tahere F40-49 New Plymouth 1:10:05
5. Christine Binns F50-59 Wellington 1:12:09
6. Caroline Speirs F50-59 New Plymouth 1:14:05
7. Melanie Barr F40-49 Nelson 1:14:13
8. Ginny Whatarau F40-49 Wellington 1:14:52
9. Geraldine Woods F40-49 Wellington 1:15:39
10. Daphne Jones F70-99 Wellington 1:16:37
10k Walk – Men Overall
1. David Wackrow M50-59 New Plymouth 0:59:45
2. David Cushing M50-59 Palmerston North 1:02:25
3. Jon Roskvist M50-59 Upper Hutt 1:04:28
4. Rob Weir M40-49 Palmerston North 1:06:35
5. Nick Holcroft M20-39 Upper Hutt 1:10:01
6. Mark Crooks M40-49 Pahiatua 1:12:02
7. Jeff Leckey M40-49 NELSON 1:12:47
8. John Whibley M60-69 Paraparaumu 1:14:03
9. David Humfrey M70-99 Kapiti Coast 1:15:59
10. John Hines M70-99 Wellington 1:16:25
Half Marathon Run – Women Overall
1. Liza Hunter-Galvan F40-49 Auckland 1:20:26
2. Katie Wright F20-39 Auckland 1:21:11
3. Angela Leck F20-39 wellington 1:22:50
4. Sarah Christie F40-49 Wellington 1:24:21
5. Tineke Stewart F20-39 Lower Hutt 1:25:38
6. Nikki Edwards F20-39 Hamilton 1:26:12
7. Angela Morris F20-39 Wellington 1:27:18
8. Rebecca Keat F20-39 Wellington 1:28:56
9. Maree Ruddell F20-39 Auckland 1:29:45
10. Ingrid Cree F20-39 Wellington 1:30:20
Half Marathon Run – Men Overall
1. Tim Hodge M20-39 Wellington 1:09:42
2. James Richardson M20-39 Wellington 1:11:11
3. Matt Dravitzki M20-39 Wellington 1:11:39
4. Stephen Day M20-39 Wellington 1:11:41
5. Sam McCutcheon M20-39 Wellington 1:14:55
6. Mitch Neilson M20-39 Lower Hutt 1:16:32
7. Chris Dunell M20-39 Christchurch 1:17:32
8. Sam Wilson M20-39 Wellington 1:17:37
9. Andrew Wharton M20-39 Wellington 1:17:41
10. Anthony Duncraft M40-49 Christchurch 1:17:57
Half Marathon Walk – Women Overall
1. Terri Grimmett F50-59 Wellington 2:18:08
2. Robyn McArthur F50-59 Lower Hutt 2:21:02
3. Jacqueline Wilson F60-69 Wellington 2:27:53
4. Sherryn Hardy F40-49 New Plymouth 2:28:20
5. Aileen Robinson F60-69 Paraparaumu 2:36:11
6. Sue McIvor F50-59 Fitzherbert 2:36:23
7. Liz Ansley F50-59 Palmerston North 2:37:29
8. Lyneve Ryland F50-59 Wanganui 2:38:15
9. Joanne Goodwin F20-39 Wellington 2:39:26
10. Valerie Buddle F70-99 Upper Hutt 2:40:00
Half Marathon Walk – Men Overall
1. Mike Morresey M40-49 New Plymouth 1:57:07
2. Eric Kemsley M60-69 New Plymouth 2:02:57
3. Jeff Wells M60-69 New Plymouth 2:11:53
4. James Hurring M40-49 Wellington 2:16:12
5. Ross Allen M50-59 Stratford 2:20:52
6. Micheal Edgcombe M60-69 Inglewood 2:21:28
7. John Leonard M60-69 Wellington 2:22:05
8. Ron Soper M50-59 Lower Hutt 2:22:58
9. Sean Lake M40-49 Wellington 2:25:30
10. David Morrell M60-69 Upper Hutt 2:32:10
Full Marathon Run – Women Overall
1. Katie Kemp F18-39 Wellington 2:53:38
2. Shireen Crumpton F40-49 Dunedin 2:55:04
3. Katrin Gottschalk F18-39 Auckland 3:07:59
4. Natalie Gaskin F18-39 Wellington 3:13:26
5. Julie Johnson F18-39 Wellington 3:22:18
6. Amy Campbell F18-39 Auckland 3:22:25
7. Julia Good F18-39 Palmerston North 3:25:19
8. Abbey Macfie F18-39 Wellington 3:26:06
9. Melanie Hansen F18-39 New Plymouth 3:27:24
10. Robyn Perkins F40-49 Christchurch 3:27:41
Full Marathon Run – Men Overall
1. Dougal Thorburn M18-39 Wellington 2:25:33
2. Stephen Lett M18-39 Auckland 2:26:59
3. Chris Sanson M18-39 Palmerston North 2:29:38
4. Daniel Clendon M18-39 Wellington 2:31:42
5. Adrian Lysaght M18-39 Tokoroa 2:36:11
6. David Lovelock M18-39 Marton 2:38:38
7. Julian Davidson M18-39 Wellington 2:41:00
8. Michiel Kallenberg M18-39 Wellington 2:41:22
9. Hamish Maxwell M40-49 Okato 2:41:39
10. Sasha Daniels M40-49 Aucland 2:42:28
Full Marathon Walk – Women Overall
1. Donna Roderick F18-39 Taumarunui 4:55:28
2. Denise Brunskil F60-69 Palmerston North 4:56:10
3. Chris Maxwell F50-59 Tauranga 4:59:48
4. Averil Sheehan F50-59 Palmerston North 5:00:56
5. Vicki Adlam F40-49 Taupo 5:16:18
6. Melissa Carr F40-49 Wellington 5:32:56
7. Linda Johnson F50-59 Upper Hutt 5:39:51
8. Deborah Nesti F40-49 Auckland 5:39:55
9. Avis Williamson F50-59 Dunedin 5:53:11
Full Marathon Walk – Men Overall
1. David Jones M40-49 Palmerston North 4:50:06
2. Malcolm Gray M50-59 Manukau Auckland 4:56:09
3. Michael Nowitz M50-59 Lower Hutt 4:57:38
4. Gerald Fitzgerald M50-59 Wellington 5:05:56
5. Robin Gray M60-69 Havelock North 5:08:27
6. Evan Davies M70-99 Palmerston North 5:08:59
7. Albie Jane M60-69 Stratford 5:18:09
8. Steve Doughty M50-59 Auckland 5:18:40
9. Willem van de Veen M50-59 Hastings 5:19:43
10. Warren Searle M50-59 Upper Hutt 5:39:51
