Then there the experienced campaigners, like 84-year-old Ngaire Norton who was completing her seventh consecutive Keri half marathon in the hybrid division (e.g. runner/ walker), arriving in 3 hours 27 minutes and accompanied by a four-legged escort, namely daughter and son-in-law, Philippa and John Robson. The Whangaroa octogenerian still looked like she had a spring in her step afterwards: "It was great, I had support," she explained.
Daughter Philippa also complimented the organisers: "It was very well run, and great to have the walkers start after the runners," while husband John noted the family's traditional outing to the Far North served more than one purpose: "Can't wait to hit the local vineyard for lunch!"
Conditions on the day were fine, overcast at times and near windless, almost too fine for the middle and tail-gunners in the pack who finished in the hottest time of the day and who would have been grateful for any patch of light cloud passing overhead. Naturally, dehydration and heat exhaustion claimed several casualties; 2273 finishing out of the 2475 runners, walkers and one wheel racer who had signed on by cut-off the previous weekend.
This year's Kerikeri half marathon - the seventh and, by far, most popular of the Sport Northland run walk series - raised $16,000 for official charity, the Cancer Society. First past the post was Auckland lawyer Sasha Daniels who ran the course down in one hour, 14 minutes and 18 seconds, seven seconds ahead of 2013 men's series champion, 18-year-old Harry Linford of Whangarei.
The best women's time was by Aucklander Rebecca Forlong in 1.21:33; the fastest walkers were Whangarei's Alan Connelly in the men's in 2.13:14 and Caroline Henwood in 2.26:03 of the women; while the Corporate Challenge was won by Kerikeri's New World Flyers. Kerikeri locals secured two of the three major spot prizes at the prizegiving, the $1000 cash going to Natalie Todd and Amy Douglas scoring the trip to Fiji, while Aucklander Tracy McKay drew the mountain bike.
And spare a thought for Sport Northland's Hayley Overton who has for the past four years taken on the various and demanding logistics of organising the biggest event - participation wise - on the Far North sporting calendar. Weeks in the planning, Hayley predicted she should have everything wrapped up by Friday.