Kyle Macdonald takes out title in new record at half marathon

WINNING FORM: Kyle Macdonald crosses the line to win the Mount Maunganui Half Marathon on Saturday. PHOTO/ANDREW WARNER

Even a torrential thunderstorm that drenched competitors and volunteers at the start of the Mount Maunganui Half Marathon could not subdue the positive vibe at the beach on Saturday morning.

A huge turnout of 1561 competitors competed in the 21km half marathon, 10km and 5km run/walk events with the extreme pace in the featured half marathon distance from Papamoa to Mount Main Beach producing two new course records.

Mount Maunganui local Kyle Macdonald took nearly seven minutes off the record to finish in 1h 10m 45s while former Queenslander Margaret Campbell also set a new fastest women's time of 1:20:04.

Macdonald was pleased with his form ahead of competing for Waikato Bay of Plenty at the national road champs next weekend in Christchurch.

He has won three other half marathons contested at Mount Maunganui and rates this win "right up there".

"I would have liked to have [coach] Craig [Kirkwood] and a few of the other locals on the start line to help me out but if anything I almost tend to race better when I am on my own basically.

"Those guys put a bit of pressure on me and I tend to wilt when I am up against them and don't perform to my best. On days like today, when I am by myself, I tend to get the best out of myself."

Macdonald led from start to finish and was forced into a faster pace than he planned at the beginning.

"I just wanted to keep a good solid tempo the whole way through. One of the guys came with me from the start line and sat on the back of me for 6km and it was a bit quicker than I wanted," he said.

"I had to go on with it as he wasn't going to step in front so I put on a bit of a surge and dropped him. I cruised it in from about 17km to go."

Macdonald was thankful to the event organisers for doing such a good job.

"It was awesome. There were plenty of drink stations and the guy on the lead bike was awesome stopping cars."

Campbell was thrilled to win her second consecutive title in the race, breaking the record on both occasions. She also won the Mount Joggers Half Marathon in June.

"Conditions were a bit tricky at the start with the rain but I will take the rain over the wind any day. I have been doing some pretty intensive training getting up to 125km a week ahead of the Melbourne Marathon in October so it was a good training run today."

She enjoyed the predominantly flat course but said the base track of Mauao is always a challenge.

"It is mostly a fast, flat course but it is tough around the base track. It makes you hold strong and it is overall a really good, strength course for athletes."

Like Macdonald, Campbell will also contest next weekend's national road champs in Christchurch.

Mount Maunganui Half Marathon

21km
Men:
1. Kyle Macdonald 1:10:45
2. Jake Jackson-Grammer 1:14:37
3. Barry Wylie 1:17:00
Women:
1. Margaret Campbell 1:20:04
2. Rebekah Greene 1:23:30
3. Taylor Tubbs 1:23:49

10km
Men:
1. Chris Trent 0:35:06
2. Bevan Jefferies 0:37:05
3. Josh Tisch 0:38:08
Women:
1. Catherine Delaporte 0:43:36
2. Jasmine Finney 0:45:13
3. Phoebe De Jong 0:45:57