Marathon back on track
Former winners Daniel Jones and Hannah Oldroyd continued their fine run of form by taking out the 2022 Queenstown Marathon titles.
Wellington based Jones, three weeks on from his historic Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Marathon, took the tape in 2hrs 27 mins 02sec.
“A marathon is always hard work but to be back in Queenstown racing again is awesome, it was amazing, it was pretty perfect conditions, a little bit windy but we had such good crowd support, and when it comes down to it racing is racing so that’s what drove us home in the end,” Jones said.
Like Jones, Christchurch-based Hannah Oldroyd also backed up her recent Auckland Marathon win in claiming her third Queenstown Marathon title, repeating her 2018 and 2020 success.
Oldroyd finished in 2:53:44.
“It was really unexpected, I’ve had a bit of a rough week, so it was all about energy management and survival so yeah, over the moon,” she said.
“The support was awesome; it always is out here. There were way more hills than I remembered, I’m sure they’ve put a new one in under a bridge somewhere and up the other side, but the support was great.”
Auckland triathlete Jack Moody made it back-to-back wins in the La Roche Posay Half Marathon, winning the 2022 event two years on from when it was last held in 2020.
In the women’s half marathon it was Sydney-based Brit Amy Cogle who took the win.
While the elite athletes took the tape, there were thousands of runners who had to dig just as deep across the four distances, the 422km marathon, the 21.2km half, the 10km and 2.2km kids run.
The oldest competitor in the field was 87-year-old Queenstown local David Graham, who finished the half marathon in 3:06:04.
David was taking part in his fourth Queenstown Marathon having only started running in his eighties when the event came to his hometown.
“It’s really the family that makes me want to do this, we’ve got grandchildren running the kids run, we’ve got one of our sons doing the marathon, another son is doing the half and also my grandson did the half as well,” he said.
“The course is absolutely brilliant and what makes it so special is that everyone is so friendly and encouraging and you can hear the cheers which makes all the difference, good old Queenstown puts on a special show.”
Thousands of Queenstowners turned out to cheer on the runners and walkers, with the event returning after the two-year Covid-hiatus.
Sponsored by New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty, it is expected to bring an estimated $20 million into the local economy. Entries have already opened for next year.
2022 Results:
NZ SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY MARATHON
Men:
Daniel Jones (Wellington) – 02:27:02
Hiro Tanimoto (Wellington) – 02:32:05
Ben Gatting (Auckland) – 02:37:53
Women: Hannah Oldroyd (Christchurch) – 02:53:44
Katie Morgan (Ranfurly) – 03:06:57
Margie Campbell (Dunedin) – 03:07:21
LA ROCHE POSAY HALF MARATHON
Men: Jack Moody (Auckland) – 01:08:13
David Lee (Auckland) – 01:10:30
Simon Cromarty (Dunedin) – 01:12:14
Women:
Amy Cogle (Sydney AUS) – 01:23:05
Kirsten Hall (Christchurch) – 01:28:51
Laura Bungard (Dunedin) – 01:29:15
HAVANA COFFEE 10KM
Men: Ben Scott (Invercargill) – 00:36:37
Leon Miyahara (Dunedin) – 00:37:11
Paul Nicholas (Dunedin) – 00:37:15
Women:
Natalie Dryden (Christchurch) – 00:39:41
Berber Swart (Damwâld NLD) – 00:41:09
Fleur Starcevic (Sydney AUS) – 00:41:55
