Big field for Kerikeri half marathon

A milling crush of 2231 excited participants will set off to prove their fitness and endurance along the 21.1km of roads from the junction of Waiare Rd and SH1 to Kerikeri on Saturday.
The challenge of Kerikeri Half Marathon, organised by Sport Northland, will be taken up by 1496 runners, 85 competitive walkers and 650 walkers.
Andrew Kilding and Lydia O'Donnell - last year's overall winners in the run - are not competing this year, leaving top honours open for new stars.
North Harbour Bays' Kyle Barnes - fifth in the recent Auckland half marathon in a time of 1h 12m 44s - will be a strong contender in the men's race, but he won't have it all his own way. Matamata Harrier Club's Wayne Guest, who headed off Barnes in the New Zealand 10km Road Championships in October, may have the edge in the longer distance too.
LJ Hooker Athletic Whangarei's Ian Calder who finished fourth overall last year has not entered this year, but will compete in the North Island Masters' track and field championships instead.
As well as competing for overall titles, Northland runners registered with Athletics New Zealand are eligible for Northland titles.
Calder's clubmate Tim Goodwin, who won this year's Northland 10km road championship, may be close to the overall leaders and seems poised to add the Northland half marathon title to his 10km title.
Not far behind Goodwin, stiff competition can be anticipated in the 50-54 age-group between Mike Gowing and Chris Seeley, both from Athletics Whangarei, followed by Max Smith and Max Thomas (Whangarei) and Hatea Harriers' Rob Dinsdale.
Whangarei's Fred Needham should romp away with the 60-64 age-group title, heading off many of the younger competitors in the process - particularly if he improves on his excellent 1h 28m 11s last year.
The women's overall race is wide open in the absence of O'Donnell and Northland's top distance runner, Ady Ngawati, Athletics Whangarei, who will be on the sideline supporting runners she coaches.
Auckland's Tara la Grange, who ran 1h 21m 44s in the Auckland half marathon, may rise to the occasion and score gold as overall winner of the women's race. Or, if she has regained any of her former fitness, Kerikeri's Maria Akesson - the 2006 women's gold medallist - could win her second title.
Other runners to watch are Amy Burke who easily took top honours in the women's section of Whangarei's two-day marathon last year and Mangonui's Emily McDowell - surprise winner of the women's half-marathon at the Whangarei run/walk festival last year and Whangarei's Leigh Ruddock, Ngawati's older sister.