HALF-MARATHON - Intergenerational feat wins place in Guinness Book of Records

As a 92-year-old entrant, Syd Taylor was set to get a big welcome at the start line for the Fullers Kerikeri half marathon anyway.
But when the evergreen Taylor fronts up for this year's event he will be sure to get red-carpet treatment, because Taylor's efforts at the event two years ago have put the Kerikeri half marathon into the Guinness Book of Records.
But for race organiser, Brent Markwick from Sport Northland, Taylor's Guinness Book of Records achievement was just part of the good news for the iconic race. Next year the Kerikeri half marathon will double as the official New Zealand half marathon championship race as well.
Markwick said recognition in the Guinness Book of Records was intriguing, but getting the race ranked as the national championship race will give it huge status nationally.
"It took a while to get that record in the Guinness Book, and it's great that the Taylor family keeps coming back every year to do the race. It is a pretty special achievement when you think about it," Markwick said.
Taylor is the patriarch of a family which became the first to have four generations compete the same half marathon in 2005. Their feat was only officially recognised by the Guinness Book of Records this week, after two years of scrutiny from the book editors.
Aucklander Dot Taylor, who was one of the family members to run the event in 2005, said she received notification this week.
In the book it will read: "The record for the most generations to complete a half marathon is 4 and was set by Syd Taylor and three generations below him (all New Zealand) who ran the Fullers Kerikeri Half Marathon, New Zealand on 19 November, 2005."
In the meantime Markwick says they are already planning to remeasure the course and gear up for next year when he anticipates a collection of New Zealand's best long distance runners will turn up to try and win the national half marathon title.
"It is nice to be recognised as an event that is worthy of this sort of status. There have been some great runners enter the Kerikeri `half' over the years but I think the standard of athlete next year will take a major step up now," he said.
This year's event has already attracted more than 2000 entrants. That is slightly down on the record 2300 runners who took part last year, but Markwick expects a rush of late entries before the event starts next weekend.