Rotorua Marathon - a diary by Craig Mathers

Saturday April 27, 2002

7:00am � Got up and decided to go for a jog since I was too scared to see the lake the night before because of some old show (I like to go down to the lake the night before to try to visualise the course)

9:30am � Gecided to start to walk to the start of the course almost hoping to motivate myself to run 42.2km

9:56am � Talked to Darryl to tell him I probably wouldn�t run with him as I felt it was a mistake. He told me his 15km split time 1hr 03mins 33secs. It was almost the time I was looking for so I changed my mind and decided to run with him.

10:00am � The cannon went off and I was cut off from Darryl (oh well, back to original plan). Running with the first three women for around 5km (19:37 by the time call - almost on target). Good seeing Arthur Corbett on the side of road at 4km.

First drink stop 5.1km so I decided to slow and move close to footpath so I could get a drink (in 1998 I wasn�t able to get one at the first drink stop) The next five km was not fast I didn�t think. 10km time 39:07. First hill felt fairly easy.

At 12km they were playing �Chariots of Fire� and that motivated me up the hill past Jason (no number) Stewart (but I can�t complain as I have run the marathon without a number!)

At 19km some stupid TV One Ute virtually cut us off so 3 runners (me included) had to run on the opposite side of the road.

At 20km I passed Tony Ngarimu and then knew I had gone too hard to pass him. (Sorry, can�t remember my 20km time)

At 23km Andrew Peskett passed me and as he passed he asked me how I felt. I told him I felt I had gone too hard.

At 24km I grabbed a drink of PowerAde and it splashed in my eye impairing my vision slightly, which I fixed with a cup of water. Good to see Michelle Strachan and Darryl�s daughters there cheering me on and Paul (Blue Wig) Dally and Anne.

At 30km legs felt a bit weak (actually they had felt that way since 18km) My time was 1hr 51min.

At 34km I actually remember the airport!

At 35km I remember the maze world.

At 36km Owhatu Rd and Vaughan Rd, the deviation.

At 37.2km I actually started to lose it � I got tunnel vision and my ears (which had been popping since 30km) got worse.

At 39km I was running like a dog, going from fast to slow as anything.

At 40km I actually do not remember my time or anything else much apart from grabbing 2 cups of PowerAde and a cup of water.

At 41km, Pak�n�Save (or at least I think it was there!) I was actually passed by someone and then at Hinema St I remember looking up and seeing him walking at the archway, but I was in no state to catch him and he beat me in. 42.2km � Crossing the finish line they needed two officials to help me in to the medical tent where they had to give me about 10 cups of PowerAde to try to revive me, then I looked down to see that I hadn�t actually started my watch! I found out later that my time was 2:52:36 � 1 minute slower than last year but without the cramp, and I was 20th overall and 13 Open Man. Darryl Strachan was 2:47:05 12th over and 4th M40.

Ps � the heat killed a lot of people including the race favourite Alistair Snowden who apparently was walking at 30km with abdominal pains and ended up 7th. The winner was Japan�s Katsumi Tsuchiya in 2:25:59 � for the first time in the events history it was won by an overseas entrant. Katsumi Tsuchiya ran 5th last year to Jonathon Wyatt and Phil Clode in 2:29:20. Rotorua Half Marathon winner Eveline Coombe won the Women�s race, 2nd place was Bernie Portenski who also won the NZ title (Eveline is not a registered athlete) and the W50 title. Her sister Michelle Allison won the W45 title and was third overall, helping Welligton Scottish to the Women�s team race which was decided on combined times. Auckland University won the men�s teams race.

Other NHC results Nick Holmes 3:19:18 � 99th overall - 16 M40

Jim Tobin 5:34:52 � 1289th overall � 19 M65

Helen Tobin 5:50:23 � 1391st overall � 19 W55