Half marathon: Touch of Hawaii in Waipuk

Ali Hollington powers to victory in the women's grade but she has extra layers of clothing to simulate heat and humidity for the Hawaii Ironman next month. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

She won the women's event in comfy time but that's half of the story of what Ali Hollington was trying to achieve in Waipukurau yesterday.

The Napier runner had the Hawaii Ironman on her mind in three weeks as she clinched the Hatuma Lime Half Marathon in 1h 40m 59s.

"I was kind of cruising at a certain heart rate," said Hollington who turned 50 on Saturday and will be competing in the new 50-55 age-group grade in her third trip to Hawaii.

But she might as well have been in the heat and humidity of the Pacific Island nation after donning extra layers of clothing to simulate the conditions in a route that started at the Waipukurau racecourse before skirting the circumference of Lake Hatuma and back clockwise.

Not content, the relief teacher intended to cycle from her Taradale home to Waipuk before the race but a friend was walking at the event so she instead took a car ride at 6am.

Having registered, she cycled out towards Porangahau and back to work towards her 180km cycle leg in Hawaii.

"I very nearly got to the beach [about 45km] but didn't want to miss the start of the half marathon so I raced back at one minute to 10," said the "Essex girl" (but not fitting the mould) with a laugh.

"I didn't want to kill myself because ... at my age you don't recover so well," says the woman who is performing "hot yoga" as well.

The ironman will start with a 3.7km swim, take in 180km of cycling and finish with a marathon run for Hollington who settled in the Bay in 1997 after arriving with her partner, Ken Maclaren, from England.

She first competed in Hawaii in 1993 after winning a free trip. In 2011, she finished fourth in the women's 45-51 category.

Hollington said it was her first Hatuma event and lapped up the picturesque views around the lake.

"We wanted some of that lime [fertiliser] prizes for our fruit-and-vegetable garden but didn't win any," she said, after receiving vouchers.

About 400 people tackled the course for an event that is steadily growing each year.

"Even though a lot of people stayed up late for the election results, we still attracted record numbers and crowds. It's great to see the community come together for the event," organiser Nichola Heremia said.

The turnout boosted several fundraising appeals that have become an integral part of the half marathon.

Participants gathered sponsors for the Walk for Water appeal, with money raised going towards improving sanitation and safe water wells for Thailand's hill-country villages. It has been a St Andrew's Church (Waipuk) initiative for the past six years.

Terrace School entrants also Walked a K for Mrs K to raise money for teacher Eleanor Kuklinski who recently lost everything in a house fire. Senior pupils and adults completed the 21.1km course in teams with juniors opting for relay teams.

The men's grade was a photo finish with Mike Bond, of Havelock North, first and Ron Middleton (Bay View) both clocking 1:26:09 while Tim McDougal was third (1:26:11).

Joss Herbert was the pick of the men's walkers (2:16:28) and Robyn Wolfbauer the women (2:20:49).