Athletics: Aspirants eyeing sub-2hr 30min

Wanaka-based runner Oska Inkster-Baynes will go into today's inaugural Queenstown International Marathon as one of the favourites.

Inkster-Baynes (23), a former New Zealand half-marathon champion, is one of 1890 full marathoners set to test the new 70% trail and 30% road course.

The 2011 Dunedin half-marathon champion, who also has Gold Coast and Auckland half-marathon titles to his name, will have some familiar competition in Dave Ridley.

Ridley and Inkster-Baynes combined to help a star-studded New Brighton Olympic team win the Lovelock Relay at the University Oval earlier this year.

Ridley is eyeing a sub-2hr 30min time.

That would be more than 4min faster than Tony Payne's Dunedin marathon-winning time in September.

Hayden Shearman (Auckland) is another title contender in a largely unknown field at the Air New Zealand-sponsored Queenstown event.

Shearman, who finished second to Payne in last year's Dunedin marathon in 2hr 46min 1sec, is also looking to go under 2hr 30min and set the standard in the new race.

Inspector Mel Aitken, of Dunedin, and Dunedin dentist and established duathlete Victoria Beck should push the 2hr 50min mark in the women's category.

Aitken lost her Otago open women's marathon title to Sarah Chisnall at the Dunedin marathon in September after battling the flu in the lead-up, and will be looking to rebound with a strong run.

She will have to fend off Beck, who is targeting a sub 2hr 50min run.

Beck, who won the Kepler Challenge in 2011 before finishing second in 2012, should fancy the much flatter course today.

Lagardere Unlimited Oceania chief executive and race organiser Dave Beeche said the course, which starts at the Millbrook Resort and finishes at the Queenstown Recreation Ground, would be ''really quick''.

''I ran the course five weeks ago and I reckon it's really quick.

''The gravel and hard-packed trail doesn't slow you down at all.

''There's not many hills in it. It's pretty smooth and undulating.''

While the inaugural event has attracted almost 6000 runners, including 3170 half-marathoners and 850 10km runners, it was not being promoted as an elite race, Beeche said.

''This is more of a destination marathon for all abilities to come and have some fun. This isn't really targeted as a super-elite race.''

The winners of the men's and women's marathons will pocket $3000. Ninety percent of the participants are from outside Queenstown.

 -by Robert Van Royen