Record fields for 30th Christchurch marathon

Caroline King | Tuesday, June 8, 2010 10:08

THE 30th Christchurch marathon on Sunday will
celebrate the milestone with record entries and
top class fields battling for $40,000 prize money.

Last year's record field of 5362 for the SBS
event will be bettered - nearly 6000 runners will
line up this time.

With the top New Zealanders and Australians,
the men's marathon could be the fastest in New
Zealand for more than 10 years.

Favourites include Christchurch's Matt Smith
and Wellington's Matt Dravitzki, both with
something to prove.

They've been winners on the Christchurch
course before. Smith won the half marathon in
2008 and Dravitzki won the full marathon in 2003
and 2005.

However, both disappointed last year - Smith
was well beaten in the half and Dravitzki failed to
finish the full marathon.

And they face strong competition from both
sides of the Tasman.

Christchurch's Luke Hurring is taking to the
full 42.2km for the first time, but his 65min half
marathon credentials should see him challenging
Smith and Dravitzki.

And last week in Australia a Kiwi and an
Ethiopian-turned-Aussie posted results in a 14km
race that put them strongly in the frame.

In the Great Ocean Road Running Festival in
Victoria, former Christchurch runner Jason
Woolhouse (in a course record) beat 22-year-old
Wondwosen Gelata, an Ethiopian granted

Australian refugee status 18 months ago. Both are
down for the full marathon here.

Perth's Magda Karimali-Poulos is favourite for
the women's marathon after a stellar 2009 in
which she won both the Melbourne and Canberra
marathons and posted a best time of 2hr 40min.

Among Kiwis, former junior star Sarah Biss
has been improving steadily and following a 2hr
47min effort in Japan this year is looking for a
breakthrough race.

In the men's half, defending champion Scott
Westcott is returning from Australia. The
Commonwealth Games rep will face former half
winners Phil Costley and Mark Bailey (both
Christchurch) and Dale Warrander, the former
New Plymouth runner now living on the Gold
Coast.

Warrander won here in 2004 and 2006 and
winning his fourth Rotorua marathon title shows
he is in form.

Christchurch's Rowan Hooper, who won the
full marathon in 2008, and Australian Ben
Toomey, who is debuting in the half but has
impressive track credentials, are others to watch.

Dunedin's Shireen Crumpton, who has won
both the half and full marathon here, and
Australian Lisa Flint will be up for the half.

Others likely to challenge include
Christchurch's Fiona Crombie and Tasmanian
Hanny Allston, a former world orienteering
champion who made her mark in mainstream
running three years ago when she won the
Melbourne, Canberra and Rotorua marathons in
the same year while studying in Auckland.