Athletics: Ruthe takes advantage in half marathon

Ben Ruthe made his comeback in style yesterday, winning the half marathon. Photo/Ben Fraser.

Tauranga showed their dominance at this year's City of Rotorua Half Marathon with the top three places in the men's division going to the Western Bay of Plenty city.

Starting and finishing at the Village Green more than 1000 participants took part in the Rotorua Running Festival which included four events - 21km half marathon, 10km, 4km and 2km kids dash - centred around the city's main streets, Lakefront and Redwoods Forest.

The blue ribbon event (half marathon) was won by Tauranga runner Ben Ruthe in a time of 1h 11m 27s, followed by Tauranga brothers Kyle and Ian MacDonald in a time of 1h 12m 04s and 1h 12m 35s respectively. The first Rotorua runner home was Steven O'Callaghan more than seven minutes behind the leader.

Ruthe said it was his first time back in competitive running, after a five-year break to spend time with family.

He told the Rotorua Daily Post yesterday it was great to be able to come away with the win.

"I just started training three weeks ago and it felt great to come back.

"It was a bit of a cheeky race today because Ian and Kyle ... they just finished the Auckland Marathon three weeks ago. [This] gave me a handicap for my first race which is nice.

"They ran with tired legs after running the marathon which gave me a shot. It was awesome to be out there with the guys."

Ruthe said he enjoyed racing at this event and was considering coming back to do the Rotorua Marathon next year.

Rotorua runner Steven O'Callaghan said he struggled to get into a rhythm early on.

"It wasn't good for me ... I got through it that's the main thing. The conditions were perfect but I couldn't get on to the pace.

"It was a pace we should have been doing and what I should have been doing but I had a race last week and just didn't quite have it today," O'Callaghan said.

In a real upset, the women's division was won by Auckland 23-year-old Alannah Van Hout. In her second competitive race Van Hout roared home in a time of 1h 34m 47s, ahead of two Rotorua locals Karyn McCready (1h 34m 55s) and Steph McHale (1h 35m 23s).

Van Hout said: "It's pretty surreal. I used to hate running and then about a year ago I got into fitness and had my first half marathon about a week ago."

She was keen to come back next year.

In the Brooks 10km Classic, Chris Myland was the first male home in 36m 10s from Justin Copeland (+38s) and Dennis De Monchy (+2m 11s).

Lynmore's Sue Crowley was the first female home in 38m 44s followed by Siobhan Griffiths (+2m 41s) and Leah Purcell (+7m 28s).