Relatively fast times expected at Mahana

MARION VAN DIJK/Nelson Mail

FEEL THAT GRASS: Sheree and Darrin Barr get out for a run with their children, from left, Justin, 10, Jarrad, 6, and Scott, 12.

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Five members of the Barr family will face the starter's gun in one of the races of Run Mahana next Saturday.

They'll be among more than 700 entrants in run and walk events over half-marathon, 10km, 5km and mile distances, making it the biggest running event ever in Nelson.

Graeme West, of Nelson Events, puts the success of the event down to good marketing by his daughter Amanda Dykzeul and her husband, Greg, combined with a new wave of healthy fitness enthusiasts looking for achievable events in good locations.

For the Barr family, it's a shared enthusiasm for sport.

Jarrad, 6, who goes to Brightwater Primary School, will tackle the BlueBerryIT Kids Mahana Mile. A keen rugby player who does a fair amount of cycling, he's confident he can cover the distance, although dad Darrin says he'll be on hand to give his youngest son a bit of support after he's completed the undulating half-marathon course.

Justin, 10, will also line up for the mile. Darrin has no worries about Justin on the course, as he's already shown his talent in school cross-country and has a fitness base from rugby, with a showing in the rep team.

Darrin's done a couple of half marathons, the fastest in 1hr 33min. His goal is an hour and a half, but he's quick to add that he doesn't think the undulating Run Mahana Half Marathon course is where he'll achieve that time.

He still feels he's in his early days of running, but trains six days a week and enjoys getting out with the Striders, where it's all pretty friendly. However, as well as the elusive 90-minute mark, the full marathon is a challenge for the future.

Darrin's also putting effort into a bit of facial growth in support of the Mohana Movember fundraiser.

Mum Sheree will have some competition from 12-year-old Scott in the 5km run. Scott is developing strength all the time. Another rep rugby player and a keen mountainbiker, he was the winner in his first duathlon, at Rabbit Island in May, so Sheree expects him to disappear into the distance quite quickly. She sounds a bit like a Tui ad when she says "I'm going to beat Scott".

Sheree admits that her training's a bit stop-start. She's done some On The Ball training with Carol Cooper and a couple of duathlons.

"If I don't join in, I get left behind," she says.

Entries for Run Mahana close tomorrow. Details at nelsonevents. co.nz.

- © Fairfax NZ News