Sarah Biss eyes Rotterdam after win

The 34-year-old led the women's field around the Whakarewarewa Forest course, finishing in a time of 1h 18m 27s - almost four minutes ahead of Tauranga's Maria Bently.

Biss, who runs for Hamilton Hawks, said she enjoyed the race which was held in perfect conditions.

"It was good, I like doing this event when I can," she said. "I have run this race once before in 2009, which I also won."

Biss finished sixth overall and pushed the men, including fellow Rotorua runner Graeme Pearson (52), all the way.

"I had a bit of a battle with Graeme on the first lap but he got away from me," she said.

The race served as a training run for Biss, who is now focusing on April's Rotterdam marathon.

After finishing a respectable 16th in the Chicago marathon in October, with a personal best of 2h 44m 32s, she hopes to go even faster on the flat Dutch course.

"Rotterdam is a fast course and I am trying to bring my personal best down," she said. "I would have loved to have done the Rotorua marathon but my priority is bringing my time down."

Junior world champion triathlete Mikayla Nielsen, 17, of Hamilton finished third in a time of 1h 26m 59s while ex-international cyclist Sarah Ulmer was the tenth woman home.

Tauranga's Angus Bell won the men's race in 1h 12m 38s, just over three minutes ahead of his closest rival Phil Murray of Hamilton.

Bell, 31, who represented New Zealand at last year's Commonwealth mountain running championships, said he was surprised by the ease of his victory.

"There were some good runners in the field but they must have been taking it easy today I think," he said. "I think the course might be a bit short because it's quite a quick time."

He said he went ahead after the first kilometre and then cruised to the finish line.

Next up for Bell is the Rotorua marathon in April.

The half marathon was just part of yesterday's event, as about 1400 competitors took part in the Little Devils runs, a 5km walk/run and a 10.5km quarter marathon.

Half marathon men: 1 Angus Bell 1:12.38, 2 Phil Murray 1:15.55, 3 Stephen Lett 1:17.27, 4 Graeme Pearson 1:17.42, 5 Matt Paronage 1:17.46.

Half marathon women: 1 Sarah Biss 1:18.27, 2 Maria Bently 1:22.17, 3 Mikayla Nielsen 1:26.59, 4 Judith May 1:31.41, 5 Fiona Alcock 1:31.57.