Community Rising to Christchurch’s Marathon Challenge

With 5000 entries, 200 volunteers and thousands of spectators, the Christchurch Airport Marathon is one of the South Island’s most significant community occasions.

The annual Queen’s Birthday Weekend event returns to the central city for the second time since 2010 and race director Chris Cox says entries are nudging 5000 participants, with people still entering daily.

While the event will also double as the New Zealand Half Marathon Championship, for most people it is a personal challenge, taken on for as many reasons as there are runners.

The eldest entrant, for the third consecutive year, is 85-year-old Red Maddock from Christchurch. The life member of New Brighton Olympic Harrier Club says he had to finally quit running in 2014 but still enters the 10k walk as a personal challenge.

Another who refuses to act his age is 81-year-old Aucklander, Jim Feist, who is travelling to Christchurch for the half marathon, which once again doubles as the New Zealand championship. Feist says “I want to win the 80-plus category.”

Great Britain’s Melvin Trundley is a tad lower key. The 71-year-old from Surrey is the eldest entrant in the feature full marathon but says simply “I’m here to visit my daughter.”

At the other end of the age spectrum, the youngest full marathoners are 16 year olds Yonni Kepes (Waipara) and

Sumer Foote (Chch). Christchurch eight year olds Michael Chinula and Cameron Griffiths are down for the 10k event and 14 year olds Rebecca Thompson-Looij (Chch), Noah Ridout (Rang) and Samara Millar-Greig (Chch) are the youngest half marathoners.

With entries from more than a dozen countries and all over New Zealand, the Christchurch Airport Marathon continues to be popular with the travelling marathoner. Outside Canterbury, the biggest representations have come from Dunedin, Invercargill, Marlborough, Nelson, Wellington and Auckland. Outside of New Zealand, Australia and Singapore lead the way.

It is a Japanese runner, however, who promises to lead the way on race day. Japan’s Hirotaka Tanimoto is favoured to defend his full marathon title. The 31-year-old won the feature Full Marathon last year in 2hrs 24min and after a recent move to Wellington, will be back in Christchurch to defend his title.

There are others, such as former national marathon champion, Dougal Thorburn, who use the Christchurch Airport Marathon as a good reason to visit home. In the past six years the Wellington doctor has finished between second and eighth in the half marathon. This year he is trying his luck at the full distance and says “There are so many reasons to come back to Christchurch. Not only is it my hometown, but you put on a great event that not only contributes to the rejuvenation of the city but is always full of people faster than myself to chase!”

“The Christchurch Airport Marathon has always been the South Island’s premier marathon event,” says Cox. “So we always attract a lot of visitors. An economic impact study a couple of years ago estimated the event generates around $2million dollars for the region, so it’s an important event in every sense.”

For some, however, the Christchurch Airport Marathon is more personal. Christchurch teacher, Amelia Smith, has terminal cancer. On entering the half marathon, she said, “I’m currently on chemo and completing the Christchurch Half Marathon is something on my bucket list. Do it now. That’s my only motto.”

Special motivation is a common theme. Many, like Jayden McIntyre, run to raise money for the event’s official charity, Ronald McDonald House South Island. The 12-year-old makes a habit of raising funds for good causes. He has raised $2000 for the children’s ward and is running the 10k in Christchurch to support Ronald McDonald House because his family has known others who have valued the facility when their children have been ill.

Race director Chris Cox attributes the continued success of the Christchurch Airport Marathon to a simple mantra of providing something for everyone. “The full marathon and half marathon are the feature events, but over the years the event has introduced more recreational options such as the 10k and walking options and the Kids’ Mara’Fun that have created a more inclusive event.

“When participants enter they can leave comments as to their background or motivation,” says Cox. “You see a lot of nice reasons such as ‘running with my Dad’ or ‘raising money for Ronald McDonald House’ or ‘finally crossing it off my bucket list.’”

Everyone’s bucket, however, is slightly different. Auckland’s Kiri Price is running the Christchurch Airport Marathon for the seventh time, which would take her marathon tally to 114.

Australian Richard Bain has run marathons in all eight of his country’s states and thought he’d add marathons on New Zealand’s North and South Islands. Fellow Australian, Paige Everson, has a bemusing motivation, saying “It’s my first marathon. I’m from Australia and wanted it to be somewhere interesting”.

“I think my favourite,” says Cox, “is husband and wife Keith and Julia Saulsbury. He ran Christchurch for the first time 31 years ago and she ran it 30 years ago. Three decades later, and in their 60s now, they’re back having another crack, with Julia saying “Just to prove to myself that I can.”

Cox adds, however, that the event’s return to the central city last year plays a big part in people's motivation.

“The amount of people who support the Christchurch Airport Marathon because we refused to allow the earthquakes to end the event is staggering. Now even more people are running because the event is reclaiming its historic central city route. We’ve been surprised by how much this means to people.”

The 36th anniversary Christchurch Airport Marathon is scheduled for Sunday 5th June. For information, including online entry visit: www.christchurchmarathon.co.nz.

ENDS

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