Wellington's Bernie Portenski. left, congratulates her sister Michele Allison after finishing the third and fourth female respectively in the 41st Lion Foundation Rotorua Marathon in 2003. Photo/File
Rotorua Marathon organisers are coming to terms with the death this week of two of the race's most influential personalities.
Bernie Portenski had legs that wanted to run and run and run.
The three-time winner of the Rotorua Marathon died in Wellington this week after a battle with ovarian cancer.
The triple victor was also one of its most effervescent characters.
After each of her successes she danced and threw her arms in the air in pure joy.
No celebration was bigger than in 1998 when she turned back the clock to win her third title at the age of 48.
Remarkably her time of 2:43.38 that year was her fastest around the lake. Portenski's previous wins were in 1987 and 1989.
Although she achieved considerable international success, the Rotorua Marathon remained dear to her heart.
She ran her first marathon in Rotorua in 1981 and her 100th also came on the course, which is regarded as one of the country's toughest.
"I always dreamed about winning a Fletcher [Rotorua] but to win three times in the space of 11 years - what a dream," she said in an interview four years ago.
But for the 1999 abandonment and an intervention by New Zealand selectors, Portenski would have run the race in 30 consecutive years.
Selectors requested she not compete in 1992 pending the naming of the team for the Barcelona Olympics - although she ultimately missed selection.
The Wellington hairdresser set herself some demanding tasks.
Within hours of winning in 1987 she was in the air bound for the United States, where she was entered for a major 12km road race the same weekend.
Portenski won several masters titles overseas and one of her proudest moments was a 60-64 year world age group record of 3:01.30 on the Gold Coast in 2010.
Former race director Dennis Kenny said Portenski was an icon of the Rotorua marathon.
"She was probably the most 'winningest' female when you took all her age group wins into account," he said.
At one time she held four different age-group course records.
''Bernie had a great personality. When she came across the finish line at the marathon you always knew it was Bernie. She was very well received by everybody and was a tenacious competitor," said Mr Kenny's wife Pam, who has also had a long involvement in the marathon and who is Lake City Athletic Club vice-president.
As reported in the Rotorua Daily Post earlier this week, Rotorua GP Dr Judi Donnell died on Tuesday, following a short battle with cancer.
Dr Donnell, a competitive athlete, was the marathon's medical director for more than 10 years from the mid 1990s.
"She had a big contribution on the medical side of things and Judi was also the Lake City Athletic Club honorary doctor for about 25 years," said Mrs Kenny.
"Judi never participated much with the club as an athlete, but she was always there as a volunteer when she was required. She always gave her time freely to the club and to the marathon."
Dr Donnell also spent four years working for the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, and her family described her as a keen sports fan.
She was an active member of the Rotorua Association of Triathletes (RATS) and a club champion numerous times.
They need to raise $63,000 for flights and accommodation for the team.