Countdown to marathon day

Start of last year's Rotorua Marathon. Photo/File

In slightly more than three weeks, 3000-plus runners and walkers will descend on Rotorua for the Lion Foundation Marathon day.

On April 30 they will take part in the full marathon, the RECT Half Marathon, the Asics Quarter Marathon and the 5.5km events in and around Rotorua. Organisers Athletics NZ say entries have been pouring in and a surge of registrations at the end of last month have entries tracking to "well over 3000 people" in the country's premier marathon event.

Runners from 14 countries have entered the various events so far, with entries from far flung places such as China, Japan, Jordan, Isle of Man, Poland, South Africa, Switzerland and Malaysia. Australians make up the bulk of the international entries.

The race is proving popular with Aucklanders, who make up almost 40 per cent of the entries and use the event as a weekend away.

Rotorua locals make up just over 10 per cent of the total entries but this is expected to swell as locals decide to take part closer to race day.

Registrations are taken right up to race day.

Females will make up 55 per cent of participants, reflecting the big numbers of women running and walking for fitness. The Rotorua Marathon's most famous competitor, Colin Smyth, will be missing this year, having sadly passed away a few months after completing his 50th Rotorua Marathon last year, but his wife Pat will be on the start line.

Lake City Athletic Club will provide dozens of volunteers in the lead-up to the event and on the day.

The Rotorua club which supports hundreds of locals to take part each year was the original organiser of the event through long-time race director Dennis Kenny. Nowadays the event is organise by Athletics New Zealand and Rotorua-based Event Promotions, with a big input from locals, involving the Lake City club, Rotorua service clubs, schools and many more.

Lake City Athletic Club running clinic convener Teresa Martin said the club's 15-week half- and full marathon clinics had been going "quite nicely" with people running strong and excited.

- To enter go to www. rotoruamarathon.co.nz.