Perfect weather and a buzzing Lakefront welcomed more than 7000 participants to this year’s Rotorua Marathon.
Men’s marathon winner Daniel Balchin said he was “very happy” with both his performance and result after a strong run on Saturday, defending his 2025 title in under two hours and 20 minutes.
Balchin, who averages two marathons a year, said he went into the race with a clear strategy.
“You’ve got to make good use of the roll of the dice with the conditions that you’ve got. So I just wanted to keep a good pace from the gun, and that’s what I did.”
He said he ran alongside local contender Michael Voss for the opening of the race, before breaking away around the 15km mark and holding the lead to the finish.
The win adds to an impressive marathon portfolio for Balchin, who has previously claimed victories at the Auckland Marathon twice, the Christchurch Marathon and now multiple wins in Rotorua.
Despite his success, Balchin said he still feels new to marathon distances, having only transitioned from shorter events in the past four years.
“I’m enjoying the marathon and just how new it is, and heaps of room for improvement with new goals.”
He said his training involved weekly distances totalling up to 150km, crediting consistency as the most important factor in preparation.
Balchin said when the race starts to bite, he breaks the distance into small sections and leans into the “comfortable uncomfortable”.
“I guess I feel at home when it gets tough in the race because you simulate it in training."
Looking ahead, Balchin said he plans to take a short break to recover, likely targeting national cross-country events later this year.
Czech athlete Bara Styblova was the first woman home in the marathon, with a time of just over two hours and 43 minutes.
For fellow runner Dame Susan Devoy, completing the Rotorua Marathon was less about time and more about proving she could still go the distance.
The 62-year-old squash legend had aimed to break five hours but was forced to walk the final stretch after a experiencing sore knee about the 35km mark. She crossed the finish line in five hours and 13 minutes.
Devoy said the highlight was support from her two sons, who came from Tauranga and surprised her on the day.
“They came and surprised me with their partners and stood on the sideline and cheered me on, so I was pretty chuffed about that.”
She said there is something unique about running in Rotorua.
“There’s something spiritual about running around that lake with all the locals ... I felt quite sort of like I’d come home in some ways."
Devoy is already eyeing her next challenge, with the Hawke’s Bay Marathon a possible addition to her calendar in just a couple of weeks.
“It’s probably not too good an idea to do two in two weeks, but you know, it’s sort of addictive in a funny way.”
In the women’s half-marathon, Katherine Camp claimed the title in a time of one hour and 16 minutes, about three minutes behind men’s winner Chris Lines.
Running the Rotorua Marathon for the first time, Camp said she took a cautious approach after racing full marathons in Christchurch and Japan just weeks before.
“I wanted to use it as a good training run, and I knew there were a few good hills in there, so I just turned it into a bit of a workout."
Camp, who is balances fulltime biomedicine study with fulltime training, said her workload means preparation is carefully managed around study and recovery.
She said the support from spectators along the course was a highlight, particularly as she led the women’s field.
“It was really cool and then coming through the finish as well, where everyone was lined up, that was really awesome.”
Her racing calendar remains busy, with the Gold Coast Half Marathon, the World Road Running Championships and the Berlin Marathon later this year.
Event director Jason Cameron said he was “ecstatic” with how this year’s Rotorua Marathon went.
He said excellent weather brought calm conditions and mild temperatures, setting a stunning backdrop along the Lakefront.
Across all distances, including the mini marathon, Marae to Marae relay, 5km, 10km, half marathon and full marathon, organisers recorded between 7000 and 7500 participants over the weekend.
“We’ve been around 62 years now, but our point of difference is definitely, you know, we want to be the most welcoming and authentic major marathon in New Zealand.”
Cameron said the marathon remains highly community-driven, supported by around 350 volunteers and more than 35 local organisations.
He said about 80% of participants typically come from outside Rotorua, with strong local involvement central to the event’s identity.
“Just about every family in Rotorua has some sort of connection to the event."
Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.