One marathon can be just the start

BY BECK ELEVEN

While running one marathon would be a great achievement for many people, several entrants in tomorrow's Christchurch marathon are racking up dozens of them.

Fifty-year-old Christchurch man Norman Chan, who started running on April Fool's Day in 2006, will run his 50th marathon.

He ran three marathons that year, seven the next and 10 the year after that. The running accelerated until he completed 22 last year.

He no longer strives for a personal best time, preferring to pace other runners.

This year, he will be encouraging Heather Hope, 37.

Hope's late father had pledged to run 40 marathons – one for every year he was married – but he died after finishing 39.

At his funeral in 2007, a family friend challenged Hope to complete her father's goal.

"I couldn't even run from one lamp-post to another," she said.

"When Norman met me he said there was no way this woman could get around the course but I did it. In just over a year I'd done it."

Hope said she was "blown away" by Chan's kindness.

Meanwhile, Mike Piper will unveil a new style of running at tomorrow's SBS marathon.

"I call it run-ogging," he said.

"I can't run as well as I used to so it's more like a combination of running, jogging and walking."

At 65, the retired accountant from Invercargill will be taking part in his 27th Christchurch marathon.

He has run 14 marathons and 12 half-marathons.

He started in 1982, but had a year off in 1999 after knee surgery.

"I'm not mad, I just love running. I've done it all my life. There's something about running that gives you freedom and time away from all the ringing phones.

"I think it's a wonderful outlet. I do a lot of thinking when I'm running. I could come back to the office and the letters would be drafted in my head."

Despite this new style of "run-ogging", Piper hoped to cross the finishing line in 2 hours and 35 minutes. "Which is about the same time as I used to run a marathon in – but I could be doing this another 35 years."

Piper is one of a record number of 5600 entrants lacing up for tomorrow's marathon amid controversy over the exclusion of wheelchair entrants.

Disability Issues Minister Tariana Turia waded into the debate yesterday, urging organisers to reconsider their stance.

"And if there are safety concerns then they should work with the athlete to find a solution," she said.

"Where there is a will there is a way. Improving attitudes and behaviours towards disabled people will ensure that people with disabilities can live ordinary lives."

The Press questioned runners on the issue as they collected registration packs from the Christchurch Convention Centre yesterday.

Most said the policy was narrow-minded, but necessary.

Ruth Herron, running the 10km course, said wheelchair users should not be excluded from entering the event.

"Why should they be disadvantaged?" she said.

David Wright, who trains mobility dogs and has worked with wheelchair athletes, said it was disappointing to exclude anyone from "such a wonderful course".

"If there's not a lot of interest I can see the organisers' point. But the more people we can get doing events like these, the better it is for everyone."

David Sutherland said wheelchair users should have been catered for but traffic and crowd control meant organisers' had to "make the difficult decision".

- © Fairfax NZ News