Buller running ordeal

Nelsonians take marathon honours in the wet

BY WAYNE MARTIN

West Coast's tumultuous weather turned Saturday's Buller Marathon into an ordeal for dual Nelson winners Paula Canning and Simon Mardon.

Driving rain and strong headwinds contributed to some severe racing conditions, although not enough to deny the two 37-year-old Nelson athletes their second respective title successes in the annual event.

Canning won her second consecutive women's crown, finishing Saturday's race in 3hr 1min 55sec, while Mardon repeated his 2008 winning effort with victory in the men's race, clocking 2hr 35min 42sec.

The extreme weather conditions meant that both runners recorded slower times than they'd hoped for, and while Mardon was ultimately satisfied with beating Wellington's Vaile Mexted by eight minutes, Canning expressed disappointment at not breaking the three-hour mark.

"I really wanted to go under three hours; I was gutted actually, but that's the way it goes," she said.

The weather was a daunting experience for her.

"It wasn't just raining, it was really pouring – like rivers running across the road. I guess that's Westport isn't it, at times.

"I don't know whether I would have [run faster] if the weather was better or not, but it's a good excuse isn't it? It could have been 32 degrees like the week before and that could have been bad, too, so you've just got to take it as it comes."

Canning took the lead from Blenheim's Susie Aviss at about the 6km mark and eventually extended her winning margin to around 8min.

"I didn't ever look around; I never do. I didn't know who was behind me or how far.

"I felt pretty comfortable, I was just battling with the weather really – and it was a bit lonely. Normally, you seem to be with some other people there weren't really any groups of people around."

After winning last year's race in 3hr 3min 29sec, Canning said she never expected to repeat her success in only her second Buller marathon.

"I didn't actually think I'd win it again; I thought that someone would do better, but I was really hoping to do under the three hours."

Mardon admitted he'd never competed in such extreme weather conditions.

"I found it pretty shocking actually – wet and windy – and it's a course that if the wind's going the right way it's bloody good, but, unfortunately, it was the wrong way, so after 8km, you turn into what was 30-odd km of really strong headwind and rain – so that was pretty tough."

Having won the 2008 title, his first, in 2hr 37min 9sec, Mardon recorded a personal best time of 2hr 33min 13sec in finishing third last year. But Saturday's weather turned times and even placings into a lottery.

"I was pretty pleased with my time. The top half-marathon guys from Christchurch were over five minutes slower for the half, so when I saw that, I was quite pleased.

"I was aiming for around 2hr 30min, and I think that if the weather had been a bit better I may have gone closer – I may not."

He said that the strong headwinds heading down the valley were punishing.

"There were some places where you felt like you were going backwards. It was a bit demoralising, you were in the middle of nowhere by yourself."

Mardon had put about 90sec on the field at the 8km stage and went through his quickest half split in 1hr 17min.

"In the conditions I thought, `I hope I haven't burnt out here'.

"You always get those sort of feelings, but the lead vehicle guy told me [the next runner] was quite a way back at one stage, so that sort of eased the pressure a bit and I just focused on keeping the rhythm going."

He said he was still feeling the effects of his winning effort.

"I feel about 100 [years old] now, I'm feeling quite old and brittle."

Nelson's Stu Cottam also produced an impressive effort to finish 10th overall and fourth in the M40-49 age group in 3hr 8min 11sec, one place better then Andy Leonard in 3hr 8min 47sec.

Nelson's Murray Hart won the veteran men's 50-59 half marathon for the fourth consecutive year, while Motueka's Norman Carrington won the veteran men's 60-69 half marathon in 1hr 37min 36sec.

- © Fairfax NZ News