marathon

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DUAL – Motutapu-Rangitoto Traverse (42.2km) – 26 March 2011

At the start, me sporting full wet weather gear ;-).
Gerry at registration.
Nervous smiles on the ferry heading to Motutapu.
No turning back now!
The organisers must have had a snigger when they planned this start! Up, up, up.
Willie and me negotiating mud puddles early on.
Gerry and Willie with the start way below, right behind Gerry.
Fly, fly away.
MTBs and runners sharing a short section of the road.
Gerry and I on Rangitoto’s scoria.
Most of the surface of Rangitoto consists of volcanic rock and scoria.
Rocks under foot.
Gerry – full speed.
Taking a walk break up a small hill.
Before.
After. They smelled much worse than they looked!
Happy with our complimentary Speight’s Traverse beers at the finish.
What a awesome moment! The last finisher getting a hero’s welcome.

Wow! wow! wow! Phew … wow … I don’t have the words to describe the experience that is the DUAL. It is 2011. For me the year that will always mark our first running of the DUAL, a character-building experience that will probably be engraved in my mind for a long time. The weather god, Huey, played an evil trick on us to help make sure we will never ever forget this event.

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Bayleys Mountain to Surf Marathon (5 March 2011)

Gerry and I in the bus at the finish, happy to have survived the ordeal! 😉
This is what greeted us when we arrived at the hotel to catch the bus to the start.
On a bus to Abilene – not!
A sorry-looking bunch of participants waiting to start.
At the gate of the Egmont National Park.
Briefing just before we were off.
Rain, rain and more rain.
Me and Willie at about 12km.
The poor marshals at the water tables, soaking wet.
Lots of cars, also from supporters on the State Highways.

Having done the Mountain to Surf in 2008, our first international marathon, I was very eager to run the race again. My memories of the previous event was generally good, that it was a well organised event, apart from a cold wind and rain in the second half of the run (not that the organisers could do anything about that!). The organisers also offered us accommodation for the night before the event and was generally very kind to us. They made us feel most welcome.

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