The family aspect of this year's Te Houtaewa Challenge along 90 Mile Beach on Saturday was best exemplified with Rongo Bentson being supported by whanau as he took on the event's 21km half marathon run, his first long distance run since recovering from a double bypass operation last year.
"I made this my goal," Rongo said. The patriarch of the Kaitaia whanau was supported in his quest by three of his children, 13-year-old daughter Ngawari, eldest son, Kiwa, and famous boxer Kahukura, the latter in turn accompanied by partner Pera Paniora.
Kiwa summed up the siblings' presence succinctly by noting they were there, "to support Dad really". Ngawari took part in the ultra marathon teams relay with the Boxing Central team from Auckland.
Another local taking part in one of the many long distance events offered in the annual challenge was Ike Urlich-Morrison, who enjoyed good moral support from close friends, Vanessa Matijevich and Mateja Matijevich Wiki, as he helped the Wha Out team win the ultra marathon team relay, eg a team of five runners with each doing 12km. Ike said he had a good run, doing his 12km part in 59 minutes into a light but testing headwind for much of the fourth leg of the relay.
"It was a really amazing day, I enjoyed it, but I'm still sore," Ike admitted yesterday, adding he was also impressed to meet a guy from Thailand doing the run.
Also notable was Hinerangi "Ironman" Waikai accompanying 8-year-old son, True, in the half marathon which began a short distance north of Waipapakauri just before noon. And the barefoot runners of the Pukemiro school team which won their division of the ultra marathon teams relay, completing the estimated 63km in 5 hours, 34 minutes and 23 seconds. The winning team - of Takarei Rollo, Heremaia Murray, Pukeroa Rollo, Ngawiri Pio and Te Awariki Nathan - was one of four teams made up of senior students from Years 7-9 entered by the Kaitaia kura.
Challenge organiser Peter Kitchen was obviously in good spirits as he mingled with a good crowd enjoying balmy late summer conditions at a busy Paripari Domain on Saturday afternoon. As children took part in organised ki-o-rahi activities on the sand, a band played on the stage, and people relaxed or recovered from their ordeal in the background, Kitchen said both competitors and the wider community seemed to finally be getting the concept.
"It was good to see, all the participants taking part, the way people have come out, and particularly the volunteers in both events. The whole thing is starting to become a big nod to our tupuna [ancestors]," said Kitchen. And in what was surely the only controversy of the day, he said the first team in in the ultra marathon teams relay, the abovementioned Auckland Boxing Central, which finished in 5:34:21, were later disqualified for inadvertently using six runners instead of the five allowed due to a mix-up over the rules.
Among the results available as the Age went to press yesterday were the following first placegetters, male and female, from the 2013 Te Houtaewa Challenge on 90 Mile Beach on Saturday, March 23.
Running events: Ultra marathon: Stuart MacAdam 5:32:19, Natalie Wallace 5:34:54 (with Kaitaia long distance runner Lilac Flay notable as the 2nd woman in in 5:51:25); Marathon: Andrew Wyatt 3:25:25, Sophie Russo 3:48:39; Half marathon: Walter Hagan 1:36:18, Anna Gerke 1:37:28. Cycle events. 60km: Terry Punn 3:16:29s, Debbie Going 3:23:39s; 40km: John "JT" Tahana 2:48:17, Sue Shand 2:02:32; 20km: Brent Allen 1:26:18, Sonja Holloway 1:07:18.