An Englishman attempting to run 15 marathons in 15 days bounded into Whangarei's Town Basin to end his 11th consecutive 42km run yesterday.
Having already completed five marathons in the UK, and five in Australia, yesterday's run was John Kirkby's first in the New Zealand stage of his gruelling challenge.
Mr Kirkby, founder of the international debt counselling charity Christians Against Poverty, is running the marathons to publicise the work of his organisation and to draw attention to the plight of the poor.
Christians Against Poverty (CAP) is Mr Kirkby's response to his own personal debt meltdown in 1991 which saw him lose his marriage and his home.
"During that time I found my faith and I determined that if I survived I would dedicate my life to helping other people and now some 15 years later we've helped somewhere in the region of 60,000 individuals around the world," he said yesterday.
CAP is a non-denominational Christian charity that helps people with unmanageable debt problems regain control of their finances. Over 15 years, it has established hundreds of centres around the world in partnership with local churches.
Cushla Scott, of Tikipunga, was one of the first to request CAP's help when it opened in Whangarei three years ago.
Overwhelmed by debt, Ms Scott said she had reached her lowest point when she saw an advertisement for CAP in a newspaper.
Ms Scott was put in touch with local CAP centre manager Rex Carmichael who has helped her regain control of her finances.
"This has changed my life completely, they're just awesome people," she said.
Mr Carmichael, who yesterday ran the marathon with Mr Kirkby and his companions, said the Whangarei centre currently helps about 60 people.
"This is the church of the 21st century in action," he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Kirkby and his running companions Paul Cribb and Martin Cowles were looking forward to a 15 minute ice-bath and a massage before flying to Christchurch where they were scheduled to attend a fundraising dinner last night.
By 10am this morning, they would have already completed their Christchurch marathon and will be preparing to fly to Napier for the 13th road challenge.
While he admits his body is taking a battering, Mr Kirkby is determined to finish the race.
"What better thing to dedicate your life to than changing people's lives and bringing hope and a future? And that's the whole message of CAP."