The start and finish of the event.

Gerry at the start with 20 other participants.

A few announcements before we were off.

The Surf Club disappearing in the back with two runners behind me.

Blue bottles in abundance.

Loved the informal water points operated off the back of people’s ute’s.

Overcast and a bit of wind, but quite pleasant.

Gerry donned his Manawatu Striders shirt, but we spotted no other club members around.

The perfectly straight, perfectly flat beach between Foxton and Himatangi.

Seven done, 13 to go.

The second water point.

Front runners on their way back.

A baby seal came to greet us.

The turn around point at 10km.

Gerry providing some entertainment along the way.

Footprints in the Sand. Apt name for the event.

The wide flat beach makes for some lovely reflections.

Third water point.

The end is near.

Prize-giving at the Foxton Beach Surf Club.

I guess if you battle with motivation to do long runs on your own, it’s always a good idea to join some other runners for an event somewhere. Even it there’s only 21 other participants.

The Foxton Beach run is organised by the local Lions Club in Foxton, a small town on the west coast of the North Island not far from where we stay. We stumbled upon the event earlier this year and decided to participate when the time comes. Then we overheard other runners saying that they weren’t sure whether it was still on and thought the race might be cancelled. But luckily I saw it listed in the Runner’s World so we reckoned it must be on. Continue reading →