New Zealand's favourite marathon is on this weekend with the running of the 53rd Rotorua Marathon.
More than 3300 people have registered to run in the various races, with 90 per cent of people coming from out of town, said race director, Murray Fleming.
Aucklander Dan Buckingham is one ofthe racers coming from Auckland, and he will be smashing out the half marathon in a wheelchair.
Buckingham was 18 when was injured in 1999 while playing rugby.
He is racing in the half marathon as a warm-up to the New York Marathon where he and 20 people are racing to raise money for the CatWalk Trust.
Buckingham has represented New Zealand in wheelchair rugby and says he did his first long-distance training while he was playing wheelchair rugby in the United States.
"I ended up enjoying it enough to do the Atlanta half. I loved the event; the whole scene was so different to wheelchair rugby events, but it's just taken me 10 years to get to a place where I have capacity to get back to it and have time to do the training and a few competitions."
Image 1 of 25: Rotorua marathon day. Female top three Lisa Hunter-Galvan, centre, with Katie Wyrill second place and Rotorua's Johanna Ottosson third. Photo/Ben Fraser
The Rotorua Marathon had not had a wheelchair racer for about five years, said Mr Fleming.
The oldest competitor this year is 91 and Mr Fleming said every year he was inspired by the range of people who got out and raced around Lake Rotorua.
"It is absolutely fantastic to see the different ages and abilities taking part in the marathon. As an ex-athlete myself, it is really inspirational to see some of these people finish marathons in seven hours; that's seven hours of exercise! The last person to finish is just as important as the first person," he said.
"It is really nice to see the top group, but the really inspiration stories are at the back of the field."
Online entries are now closed, but runners can still register today from 2pm until 9pm at the Energy Events Centre. From tomorrow registrations are taking place from 6.30am up to a half an hour before each event.
Supporters can't access the roads around the northern section of the marathon route as the road is closed from Hamurana Rd from Unsworth Rd to State Highway 33 at Mourea between 8.30am to 1pm.
However, if you want to give runners some support, the best place to position yourself is the back end of the run because that's when runners are most in need of encouragement.
A sports and lifestyle expo is on all day today at the Energy Events Centre, and this is the place to get some fitness bargains and nutrition advice.
The expo has free entry, and is a popular feature of marathon day. It also gives the support crew something to do while they are waiting for their family and friends to come in.
Today 2pm-9pm Registration and Sports & Lifestyle Expo (Held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre) Tomorrow 6.30am Registration and Sports & Lifestyle Expo (Held at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre) 8.00am Half Marathon Start - Runners 8.05am Half Marathon Start - Walkers 8.20am Marathon Start - Runners 8.25am Marathon Start - Walkers 8.40am Quarter Marathon Start - Runners and Walkers 8.50am 5.5km Start - Runners and Walkers 5.00pm Expo closes 5.00pm Prize Giving for 5.5km, Quarter, Half Marathon and Marathon
What: Rotorua Marathon Where: Starts and finishes outside Energy Events Centre When: Saturday from 8am
