running

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Linking two towns – Ashhurst to Esplanade

Date: 19 November 2017
Distance: 21.1km (we measured 21.5km)
Time: 3:25
Previous: 2014

[Photo by Rob Caven Photography] Mr & Mrs Charlie at your service.
The registration team hard at work.
The walkers lining up for their start.
An hour after the walkers, the runners were on their way.
[Photo by Rob Caven Photography] On a slow trot out of the Ashhurst Domain.
In the Higgens aggregates yard.
Some dark clouds and even a few spits of rain on a otherwise warm and humid day.
On Higgins’ property.
Phil and his traffic management team making sure everyone stayed safe.
The last participant, all the way from the Souht Island to do her first half marathon!

This year saw the fourth running of the Ashhurst to Esplanade walking and running event, which is a gem on the local calendar. Organised by the Manawatu Striders Running and Walking club it is a lovely walk linking two towns. Continue reading →

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Palmy parkrun #2

Date: 11 November 2017
Distance: 5km
Times: Gerry – 21.15 / Wouna – 26.37
Previous: Hamilton #1, Palmy #1, Kapiti Coast #1

A cold wind to keep things interesting. (Photo: Richard Berber/parkrun)
And off we go on the out-and-back course next to the river. (Photo: Richard Berber/parkrun)
Gerry at full throttle. (Photo: Richard Berber/parkrun)
Not far now! Without a watch I had no idea what my time was until the results were email later in the day. (Photo: Richard Berber/parkrun)

When we have a weekend at home, we are like puppies that caught a car. We don’t know what to do with it. It happens so rarely that we were totally off guard when the weekend rolled around. Continue reading →

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Kapiti Coast parkrun

Date: 11 November 2017
Distance: 5km
Time: 28.36
Previous: Hamilton #1, Palmy #1

At the start, having a quick chat with Gary (who also offered to take our pic – thanks Gary!).
73 runners and walkers gathered for this weeks parkrun.
Race briefing.
Shortly after the start and we were right at the back with one or two others.
A sheltered path.
Off-road all the way.
The speedsters are already on their way back.
A beautiful morning for it.
The Tararuas in the distance.
Finally at the turn-around point.
Despite a faster split on the way back, we were still quite “alone”.
Passing under the new SH1.
Without volunteers, parkrun cannot happen.

For more than six years, we’ve been driving down to Wellington on Saturday mornings for work. Not every Saturday, but on average about ten to twenty times per year. And for the past many years, we spoke about how we should leave earlier and do a parkrun on the way down. Having to work on a Saturday, is bad enough, let alone having to get up very early to drive down and still be in time. To fit in a parkrun would mean getting up even earlier, which sounded like pure torture. And with Fridays being, well, Fridays – the end of the week, time for a glass or two, movie, late night, contemplating the week and philosophising about life into the wee hours of the morning – getting up early on a Saturday is the last thing you want to do. And getting up really, really early is the very last thing you want to do. Continue reading →

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Roy Lamberton Memorial half marathon – Feilding

Date: 4 November 2017
Distance: 21.1km
Time: 2:10.36
Previous: 2011

Gerry photobombing my start pic.
Chilling before the start.
Race briefing by Rob Dabb.
100?? runners and walkers in the half marathon.
And we’re off!
Was it not for this guy in the yellow Feilding Moas colours, we might have taken the wrong turn a couple of kilometres before the finish.
Making our way out of town next to a busy road.
Major road crossing, luckily with the STOP-GO in place.
Gerry, having an easy ride.
Little did I know my cap creeped up and was sitting on top of my head! I looked like an alien.
The second/third water point.
The half marathon winner, Edward Currie, speeding past on his way to victory.
Dave in the top 5.
A typical NZ country scene.
Halfway!
Missed an impressive jump by Kel with the slow phone camera.
Derrick going strong.
Viv going great shortly before the turnaround.
Cheryl and Cath having a ball!
Bill, all the way from Whanganui. What would a country event be without a tractor in it!
Paul looking relaxed.
John doing the half, while Margaret was taking the day off ahead of a 74km bike ride the next day.
Lovely to see Francis on the road again.
Compulsory selfie on the course.
Friendly girls at the second/third water point.
Gerry getting warm despite his easy pace.
The first/fourth water point, sponsored by Allan McNeill Chartered Accountants (I’m assuming looking at the banners at their aid station).
Nearly back among the houses at the edge of town.
Back at Timona Park with the finish in sight.
Finish-line selfie, with the Striders start/finish banner a familiar backdrop.
Small-towm prize-givings – always a festive affair.

The previous time we did this half marathon (in 2011), the event started at the swimming pool and ran out of town in more or less the opposite direction than the current event before you turned around and ran back the same way. It was, still is, a lovely, small town, out-in-the-country-type event on an out-and-back course. Continue reading →

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Inaugural Palmy Parkrun

Date: 28 October 2017
Distance: 5km
Time: 32:10
Previous: 2015

217 (in 2017 :-)) participants turned up for the inaugural Palmy Parkrun.
Kate doing briefing.
Starting at the Fitzherbert Bridge, participants run/walk upstream for 2.5km, before turning around and running/walking back.
The Bridle Track is the perfect course for this event.
A sunny, warm and windless day for the first one.
A beautiful course next to the river.
The out-and-back course makes for a very social outing.
The fast runners zooming past.
The track is still open to the public, but we didn’t see many people around that early.
The turn-around point.
One of the friendly marshals on the course.
Next up, Feilding Moa’s Marathon, and shorter distances.
Suzanne busy scanning Gerry’s barcode.

As I’ve mentioned before, parkrun has started in 2004 already, and has worldwide been on the scene since 2007. The only other parkrun I’ve done, is the one in Hamilton some two years ago. The stats have changed considerably since then with the amount of locations (more than 1200) nearly double what it was in 2015! Continue reading →