Catching their breath

Inspector Mel Aitken, of Dunedin police, opens Asthma Otago's marathon event at the Fraser Building at Dunedin Hospital yesterday with organiser and participant Murray Moore alongside.

The 19 participants, who all have a form of lung disease, clocked up more than 185km over two hours on gym equipment, a result that amazed Mr Moore.

''I thought we'd be lucky if we get 83km, so I put 82km ... we've gone way over that. Everyone's sort of blown away; they can't believe it,'' he said.

The event aimed to promote participation and fun, and was timed to mark Asthma Awareness Week.