This means that after runners conquer the steep Ballance Street rise early in the course, they will run to the end of Shelley Road and back to Valley Road.
Then comes the slow rise up the Matokitoki Valley. At the end of the valley, runners will tackle the steep cross-country track across the saddle to Cave Road, and move on to Riverside Road.
The route back into town has a further serious climb at Holden’s Hill and a shorter one at the Waimata Cheese factory, when fatigue will have set in for just about all contenders.
The course is varied with lots of scenery but is unlikely to yield personal-best times for runners who also race elsewhere.
Last year elite triathlete Tayler Reid wone the men's category with a time of 1 hour 19 minutes 19 seconds. He beat the club’s strongest cross-country runner, Steve Morrow, by 20 seconds.
Women’s winner Frances Stringfellow, a visitor from Tauranga, crossed the line in 1:42:15, more than two minutes faster than Gisborne’s Samantha Jennings.
The race is promoted locally and should attract graduates from the quarter-marathon.
Running half-marathons is not for the faint-hearted, said club co-president Hans van Kregten.
“Novices to distance running should not underestimate the length and toughness of the race,” he said.
“It's twice as long as the quarter but possibly three to four times as hard because of the hills and changes of running surface.
“For that reason, we also offer five- and 10-kilometre races that will be run from Waiteata Park while the half marathoners are racing.
“The five-kilometre race will be suitable for children while their parents are slogging it out. Based on experience, we can predict that they will be quite fresh when they welcome their exhausted folks at the finishing line.”
Winners of the event can look forward to receiving a special Matokitoki stone memento. All finishers will receive medals recognising their feat.
