Record Running In Wellington This Weekend

It has taken three years to get the 35th anniversary Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon to the start line, but on Sunday a record 5400 entries will finally get to line up for what has been one of the covid era’s hardest hit events.

Established in 1986, the Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon has been the Capital’s major marathon for more “almost” 35 years. With up to 5000 participants every year, it is one of the New Zealand’s “Big Five”, alongside the Auckland, Queenstown, Rotorua and Christchurch marathons. This year’s 35th anniversary, however, has been a long time coming.

The event industry has been one of the hardest hit during Covid-19. In recurrent lockdowns in both 2020 and 2021, the Wellington Marathon was postponed to later in the year and then forced to cancel. “If we have learnt anything in the last two years, it’s that there are no guarantees,” says event manager Michael Jacques.

“Events are by definition a mass gathering, so in regard to covid-19 controls our industry has felt the pinch as much as any. Our company alone has had eight postponed or cancelled events.”

Jacques thinks the impact of the last two years will be felt into 2023 and maybe even 2024, but he isn’t contemplating a change in career.

“I’ve been involved in endurance sports all my life and organising for 30 years. We’re just a small family business doing what we love, and we organise events because other people love doing them too. So as long as people want to challenge themselves, we’ll keep organising challenging events.”

And people do want to do them, with almost 5500 entered across the marathon, half marathon, 10k and Kids Magic Mile this weekend. And while internationals entrants are still few and far between, many of New Zealand’s best are choosing to stay home of late so the front end of the field is shaping up as the fastest ever.

Retributions & Records

In 2018 and 2019 Wellington’s Ingrid Cree finished a surprised third in the Wellington Marathon. She followed that up with third places in the Rotorua and Christchurch Marathons in 2020, however, after breakthrough wins at the Rotorua and Hawkes Bay marathons, the 39-year-old will line up as the form favourite for the Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon. But she’ll need to be on her best form.

Chasing the local favourite will be a Christchurch-based Brit with something to prove. Hannah Oldroyd announced herself of the New Zealand scene in 2017 with wins in the Christchurch Marathon and Buller Marathon. She was favourite for Wellington that year too, but injury saw her hobble across the finish line in sixth. Oldroyd bounced back with a win at the Auckland Marathon and then took out Buller and Christchurch again in 2018, and in 2019 clocked a best time of 2hrs 45min in Amsterdam. Now the 35-year-old returns looking finally to conquer the Capital.

It will be an interested race. Oldroyd has the fastest time and most wins, just six weeks ago Ingrid Cree beat her by a nail-biting 39secs to win the Hawke’s Bay event in a best time of 2hrs 49min 34secs. So, a rematch in Wellington could prove the highlight of the 35th anniversary event and challenge the race record of 2hrs 48min 36secs set in 2017 by five-time national champion Alice Mason (Cambridge).

The men’s full marathon, by comparison, is looking like a one-horse race with Wellington’s Sam McCutcheon favourite to take the title. The 33-year-old won the 2017 Dunedin Marathon and recently finished third in the Hawke’s Bay Marathon and his best time of 2hrs 24min 13secs is only 90secs shy of Wellington’s 2017 course record set by American Lowry. McCutcheon finished third that day but facing a solo 42.2k this Sunday he is unlikely to challenge Lowry’s time.

Young Guns Shooting for Record

The men’s half marathon, however, is a different story. In 2012 Kenyan teenager, Kip Kemei, spent 12 months winning every Kiwi race that mattered and smashing most of the records as well. At the Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon he won the half distance by almost a kilometre in a record 1hr 06min 27secs. But this year, two young Kiwis are hoping to put their own name in the record book.

Rotorua’s Michael Voss has tasted success in Wellington before. In 2016 he was a teenage sensation who romped away with the half marathon win. Since then, he has won half marathons and marathons at the prestigious Auckland, Rotorua and Hawkes Bay marathons and has a best time of 1hr 05min 09secs that is indeed faster than the Kenyan’s race record. But much like the women’s full distance, the 25-year-old Voss need to be on his best form against a young local who is faster over almost every distance except the half marathon.

Wellington’s Toby Gualter has done his best running out of New Zealand. The 21-year-old won New Zealand junior titles on the road, cross country and track before taking up an American track and field scholarship. While there he clocked 14min 08secs for 5000m and 29min 24secs for 10,000m. Back at home in Wellington now he is hoping to put his speed to good use over longer distances and has his sights set on the course record this Sunday.

Gualter is significantly faster that Voss over those shorter distances, but he has only ventured the 21.1k half marathon once in 69min. Voss is faster and significantly more experienced at the longer distance, and so their tussle around the Capital on Sunday may well come down to classic strength versus speed race of attrition. And adding interest will be Wellington-based Japanese runner, Hiro Tanimoto, who won the full marathon here in 2019 and has a best half marathon of 1hr 06min.

First Timer the Favourite

Olivia Burne has never run the Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon. But will line up as favourite for the women’s half marathon on Sunday. The four-time national champion is the favourite courtesy of her best time of 1hr 15min 29secs and a near-best win at Auckland’s Waterfront Half Marathon in April. Her best time is significantly faster than the 1hr 17min 17sec race record set by fellow Aucklander Lisa Cross in 2019, but Burne might need a race record to hold off a trio of fast-improving locals.

Esther George has been a runner on the rise since settling in Wellington a few years ago. The 30-year-old has a best time of 1hr 18min and illustrated form with a second in the prestigious Dorne Cup cross country race last weekend. Although, the winner of that race – Sarah Drought - is also lining up in the half marathon. George has a faster time over the 21.1k, but Drought is obviously the form runner right now, while Wellington newcomer Jess Wright will also be in the mix. On their day, any of these three are capable of surprising the Auckland favourite.

Something for Everyone

Along with the feature Gazley Volkswagen Marathon and Shoe Clinic Half Marathon, the event also includes the Mizuno 10k and The Hits Kids’ Magic Mile.

Event Manager, Michael Jacques is excited with the calibre of racing in this year’s Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon, but points out, “This event is so much more than the race up front,”

“We provide something for everyone from kids right through to first timers and weekend warriors.”

Jacques says it is great to see people like Wellington’s Des Young continuing his streak as the only person to have run every year of the event. “Twenty years ago, Des was often in the top 10 finishers, but these days he’s happy running in the middle of the pack like any other recreational runner. I think that’s what the event is all about.”

Other runners who know a thing or two about marathons are Wellington’s Mike Stewart and Auckland’s Garth Barfoot. Stewart has run more marathon than any other New Zealander and lines up for the classic 42.2k for the 603rd time on Sunday. Barfoot, meanwhile, recently turned 86 and is hoping to be the eldest ever finisher of the Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon.

Another goal many entrants choose is to participate in support of the New Zealand Heart Foundation, which is the official charity of the Armstrong Motor Group Wellington Marathon event. Their “Have A Heart” programme provides a platform for participants to raise money for heart health research.

The 35th anniversary Gazley Volkswagen Wellington Marathon kicks off on Sunday at Sky Stadium with the Full Marathon Walk at 7:00am and Full Marathon Run at 7:30pm. The Half Marathon Run and Walk, which doubles as the Wellington Championship, starts at 8:45am, the 10K Run and Walk at 9:15am, and the Kid’s Magic Mile at 9:30am.

Late entries can be made on Saturday at Gazley Volkswagen, 38 Kent Terrace in Wellington. For more information see www.wellingtonmarathon.kiwi.

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