Marathon effort from thousands

A Star Wars stormtrooper adds some colour to the marathon. Picture / Dean Purcell

Blind and tied to another man, one of Britain's best paralympians completed the Auckland Marathon yesterday in just 3h 6m.

Rob Matthews, MBE, has won 22 world running records and eight gold paralympics medals.

Born with a degenerative retina disease, Matthews has been blind for 25 years and is tied to his guide, Cameron Watts, while running.

Matthews, who has moved here after falling in love with a Kiwi woman, said windy conditions had made the marathon a tough race.

"This was my third marathon this year and now I am going to have a rest for a while."

He hopes to represent New Zealand at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008.

Radio host Kerre Woodham was "stuffed and elated" to finish the marathon in under 4 hours. "Not only did I finish, I finished well, I didn't vomit."

Woodham's sponsor, Regal Salmon, will give $5000 to Cystic Fibrosis NZ because she completed the run.

Woodham was not the only one racing for charity. Husband-and-wife team Simon Clendon and Nicola Miller-Clendon raised $2800 for the marathon's official charity, the National Heart Foundation.

Mr Clendon, who completed the 42kms in under four hours dressed in a big red heart costume, said he was delighted to finish his seventh marathon.

Also in costume were four Aucklanders who completed a 5km walk dressed as characters from Pacman, the popular 1980s computer game. They will sell their costumes online and donate the proceeds to the heart foundation.

Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard described the day as "absolutely stunning" and a great credit to the city.

Mr Hubbard completed the 5km walk with his mayoress, Diana, and said they would be back next year to tackle the quarter-marathon.

Runners from 37 countries, including Mexico, Croatia and Estonia, took part in the marathon, for which more than 10,400 people were registered.

The men's marathon was won by Dale Warrander of New Plymouth, winner of last year's half marathon, and the women's race was won by Aucklander Tracey Clissold.