New Zealand Half Marathon Championship and adidas Auckland Marathon

Stephen Lett added the New Zealand half marathon title to the national 10km track and 10km road titles that he already holds after a convincing victory in Auckland on Sunday.

 Lett eased ahead of Scott Winton at 8km and went on to record a personal best of 1h 7m 38s. Winton came in 2m 8s later with Stefan Smith third in 1h 10m 1s.

Lett said it was good to get a PB.

“We started off pretty steady, got a gap at 8km and it was good to get a PB as it is not an easy course to run a fast time,” said Lett.

New Zealand 10km track champion and former national 10km road champion Danielle Ingram-Trevis won the women’s half title in 1h 18m 36s, five minutes slower than her winning time last year in the Auckland event. Forty eight year old Sally Gibbs in second in 1h 19m 48s set a New Zealand Masters record, carving 4m 12s off her own W45 record set last year. Gabrielle O’Rourke was third in 1h 20m 23s with defending champion Maria Bentley fourth in 1h 21m 39s.

Dale Warrander showed real guts and determination to battle through a painful heel to claim his fourth adidas Auckland Marathon title.

The 38 year old fitness trainer, based on the Gold Coast had the race to himself after breaking clear of four times previous winner Phil Costley at 7km and looked set to cruise to victory.

However the camber on the road and wearing a new pair of shoes took its toll on Warrander and a sudden sharp pain in his left heel forced him to stop at 37km.

“I was running comfortably the whole way to that point, and I started to get really worried and when I stopped I thought it was over, but I just tried to keep going and if I stopped again it was just going to get worse,” said Warrander.

The 2004 Athens Olympian said that his aim was just to get to the finish line.

After running at a pace to see him finish in 2h 22m, Warrander eventually crossed the finish in Fanshawe Street in 2h 24m 42s, five minutes slower than his winning time last year.

Warrander hopes that his heel injury recovers in time for him to compete for New Zealand in an international relay event in Chiba Japan next month.

Costley from Nelson also had trouble over the second half with stomach cramping but still held on for second in 2h 28m 18s with Blair McWhirter of Christchurch taking third in 2h 33m 4s ahead of marathon rookie Aaron Jackson who recorded 2h 35m 8s.

Lisa Robertson was outstanding in her debut over the 42.2km marathon distance leading throughout to set a fresh course record of 2h 41m 56s. The 28 year old jockey was rearing to go from the start and cut out the first half in 1h 18m 20s, 16 seconds faster than Ingram-Trevis ran to win the separate half marathon race.

“I was aiming for a sub two hours forty but I had shin problems and had to take a few weeks easy so I wasn’t entirely up to my game today, so to get that time is amazing.
“I felt great over the first half and I thought I could just keep going, but you definitely hit that ‘wall’ they talk about. It was at 37km and I felt that I had had enough, but I carried on,” she said.

Robertson said that being an active jockey does help her running fitness.

“”Working in the gallops is like doing your 800m reps in running and things like that.”
Australian marathon champion Kirsten Molloy was second in 2h 48m 10s, five minutes slower than her time in the Melbourne Marathon three weeks ago.
“I just loved the run over the harbour bridge and the course was so pretty the whole way. I don’t know anybody but around the course they were yelling out to me – it was really nice.

Last year’s winner Shireen Crumpton of Dunedin was third in 2h 56m 5s. Crumpton has been troubled with an injured Achilles tendon.

“It was pretty sore the whole way, so I’m just happy to be here,” said Crumpton.
“At least I sneaked under the three hour mark, I would have been really disappointed if I hadn’t,” she added.