In fact, at least two of them — Michelle King and Annie Rankin — have even completed the unofficial half marathon, after Covid forced the event’s cancellation, after which Rankin’s husband made her a medal to go with her official haul.
King’s done the half every year, while Rankin’s only done the unofficial half, having otherwise completed the 10km.
Kemble Hughes and Charlotte Mackenzie both started with the full marathon — in atrocious conditions — and while Hughes has done the half every year since, Mackenzie’s done every distance and will this year line up again on the half start-line.
The other local founding runners are Adam Geekie, Anne Harris and Benjamin Black.
As to the attraction of the event, Hughes says having it on his doorstep makes it easy, and provides some fitness motivation ahead of summer.
"It makes you realise you take the scenery for granted, too, when people are stopping and taking photos.
Rankin: "It feels so good when you take off — not so good in the middle, but better at the end."
While the runners are all just looking forward to finishing, King has a monkey on her back she’d love to shake — finishing in under one hour and 50 minutes.
A holder of the ‘MVP medal’, which she received for competing all four Runaway Series Marathons (Noosa, Sydney, Hawke’s Bay and Queenstown), King managed to do that in Noosa, last year, and beat that time in Hawke’s Bay.
Her personal best in Queenstown? One hour, 50 minutes, 30 seconds.
