Community Rising to Christchurch’s Marathon Challenge

With close to 5000 entries, 200 volunteers and thousands of spectators, the Christchurch Airport Marathon is one of the South Island’s most significant community occasions.

On Sunday, the annual Christchurch Airport Marathon returns to the central city for the first time since 2010. Race Director Chris Cox says entries are tracking towards around 4800 participants and he hopes good weather forecasts might help it hit 5000 for the first time since the earthquakes.

While the event will also double as the New Zealand Half Marathon Championship, for most people it is a personal challenge taken on for as many reasons as there are runners.

Chris Cox, who has been organising the Christchurch Marathon for 20 of its 35 years, says “I’ve always felt the greatest thing about the event is that it’s a true representation of the community with different people from different walks of life and different motivations for why they run.”

The eldest entrant is 84 year old Red Maddock from Christchurch. The life member of New Brighton Olympic Harrier Club says he had to finally quit running last year, but will still be a starter in the 10k Walk.

One who refuses to act his age is 80 year old Aucklander, Jim Feist, who is travelling down specifically because the half marathon is the national championship.

Another keen Aucklander is Garry Donoghue, who is on a quest this year to run seven marathons in what is his 70th year. Similarly, Darfield’s Alan Blackburn says he’s been a runner since age 13 and sees no reason to stop at age 68.

With entries from more than a dozen countries and all over New Zealand, the Christchurch Airport Marathon continues to be popular with the travelling marathoner. Japan’s Hirotaka Tanimoto is the favourite for the classic full marathon event, but Mongolia’s Zolzayav Byambajav has taken up running only since moving to New Zealand last year, where she is a mining engineer in Reefton.

The West Coast is well-represented in this year’s event, including a group of students from Westport who are among more than 100 secondary school kids running the event as part of their NCEA physical education study. Outside of Canterbury, the biggest representations have come from Dunedin, Invercargill, Marlborough, Nelson, Wellington and Auckland.

“The Christchurch Marathon has always been the South Island’s premier marathon event,” says Cox. “So we always attract a lot of visitors. An economic impact study a couple of years ago estimated the event generates around $2million dollars for the region, so it’s an important event in every sense.”

For some, however, the Christchurch Airport Marathon is more personal. Five years ago Christchurch’s Charmaine Aitkin was involved in a car crash that left her unable to walk for three months. She has entered the Half Marathon Walk because she promised herself she would make the most of being able to walk again.

Many run to raise money for charity. In January, Vicki Flavell’s son was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder which the Christchurch book keeper says has opened up her eyes to how many families battle with illness every day. In response she has entered the Half Marathon to raise money for the event’s official charity, Ronald McDonald House South Island.

Race director Chris Cox attributes the continued success of the Christchurch Airport Marathon to a simple mantra of providing something for everyone. “The full marathon and half marathon are the feature events, but over the years the event has introduced more recreational options such as the 10k and walking options and the Kids’ Mara’Fun that have created a more inclusive event.

“When participants enter they can leave comments as to their background or motivation,” says Cox. “You see a lot of nice reasons such as ‘running with my Dad’ or ‘raising money for Ronald McDonald House’ or ‘finally crossing it off my bucket list.’”

There are also more than a few participants who line up very year because they always do. Christchurch’s Dave Eaton is running for the 20th consecutive year, while another local runner, Ian Chibnall, is taking on his 74th marathon in a quest to run 100.

“I think my favourite,” says Cox, “is a local guy, Tony McCormick, who ran the very first Christchurch Marathon in 1981 and has started up running again to do the 35th anniversary event.”

Cox adds, however, that this year’s event has sparked a new motivation. “The amount of people who say they are running because the event is moving back to the central city has been staggering.”

“We’ve been surprised by how much this means to people. But I don’t think it’s just the race returning to the city. It’s more than that. I think people see it as a way they can be part of reclaiming their city.”

The 35th anniversary Christchurch Marathon is scheduled for Sunday 31 May. For information, including online entry visit:www.christchurchmarathon.co.nz.

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