The 28-year-old was, therefore, thrilled to finish fourth-fastest woman in this month’s Christchurch half marathon, which doubled as the New Zealand champs for that distance.
Remarkably, too, her time of 1hr 19min 21sec was just 11 seconds off the personal best (PB) she’d set in winning last May’s Southern Lakes women’s half from Cardrona to Wānaka.
Tennekoon believes that’s the highest placing she’s achieved at any national-level event, "so that was pretty cool".
Formerly a top sprinter — representing NZ while still at high school in Christchurch — she was burnt out by the time she moved to Queenstown two years ago.
Under local coach Neville Britton, she decided to become a distance runner instead.
But in the latter half of last year she suffered a severe iron deficiency, which morphed into neuropathy.
"As someone who’s run my whole life, it was pretty scary, it was the first time I’d ever been hit with something big enough to question whether I’d actually ever get on the start-line again.
"I had goose bumps on the start line [in Christchurch] because I was just so excited to be there."
Having only trained for three months, her legs let her down near the end, rather than her fitness, Tennekoon says.
"I just need a few more months under my belt."
She’ll run a 10km race in Hawke’s Bay in about a month then the Gold Coast half in July, aiming to beat her PB — further down the track, she’d love to represent NZ at the world road running champs.
She gives credit to Britton for her comeback to date — "he really had to rein me in and ensure I didn’t over-train and get sick again".
During her prep, Tennekoon also fundraised for the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research’s ‘Go the Distance’ challenge — to allow it to fund a CAR T-cell therapy trial that means NZers wouldn’t have to travel overseas for blood cancer treatment.
By this week she’d raised just under $2500.
Meanwhile, Britton, who’s 60, also ran the half in Christchurch, finishing fourth in his 60-to-64 age category in 1hr 36min 25sec after being paced by fellow local, Marijn Wouters.
He’s now aiming to run his first marathon in six to 12 months’ time.
He’s been egged on by another top local runner he coaches, Siena Mackley, who told him, "I can’t believe you are such an awesome running coach, but haven’t ever run a full marathon".
