Former Dunedin runners filled the top slots at Queenstown International Marathon on Saturday with Tony Payne setting a course record as he won the men's race and Victoria Beck taking the women's title.
Payne's pace wasn't simply down to an urge to pick up first place but also to finish in time to attend his best friend's wedding after the event.
Now based in Auckland, Payne crossed the finish line ahead of 2000 other full marathon runners in an impressive 2hr 30min 29sec. Describing it as a ''demanding'' course, he focused on the scenery rather than the pain the course gave him.
The race started at Millbrook, headed through Arrowtown and into the country before taking runners over to Lake Hayes for a circuit using some of the Queenstown Trails. Runners then headed for the old Shotover bridge before following trails beside the Shotover and Kawarau rivers to Frankton, to
finish in the Queenstown Rec Ground.
Payne said the Lake Hayes circuit was the most challenging, with undulating sections he called ''very up and down''.
However, his energy levels stayed high and he told the Otago Daily Times he was confident of winning after passing the 24km mark.
''I was going at a pretty good pace and knew I would be extending the lead from that point. It was a good controlled effort. It was nice not to have a tough battle the entire way.''
Payne maintained
he didn't set out to beat the record and says he was surprised by his time.
In his sprint finish he left many half-marathoners in his wake, saying the enthusiasm and noise of the crowd helped him across the finish line, making it his career highlight.
Women's marathon winner former Dunedin resident Victoria Beck, who won for the second year in a row 2hr 55min 52sec, admitted she was suffering from a gastric bug during the race.
Her upset tummy added to her time and she was hugely relieved to get the race finished.
Conditions were better than last year and she was mentally prepared, as she knew what to expect.
''This year I knew where those tough bits were - the climbs, the straights, the hills,'' said Beck, now based in Australia. Approaching the finish line, no-one was on her tail, meaning she could enjoy it more.
In the half marathon, Mike Phillip, of Christchurch, won the men's title in 1hr 14mins 18sec and Queenstown runner Jasmin Patterson won the women's race in 1hr 26min 7sec.
Phillips said he found the race tough as the majority of it was on trails.
''It was a very scenic run - incredible. It's quite undulating with a mix of surfaces which made it tough, too.
''There is a hill - Marathon Hill - you look at it and think `oh no' but you just have to grin and bear it to get through it.''
He said the last five or six kilometres were tough and it was a relief to get across the finish line. A triathlete, he described it as the best marathon he had ever done, ''by a long way''.
Julie Wilson, of Oamaru, was excited and surprised by her first place in the women's 10km race.
''I really loved it. It is very different to road running ... but the scenery was amazing - the views out over Lake Wakatipu are just stunning.''
By Louise Scott.
