With New Zealand marathon titles up for grabs, a win at this year's Rotorua Marathon took on extra meaning and it was Blair McWhirter and Alice Mason who handled the pressure best.
McWhirter, from the Sumner Running Club in Christchurch, went to the front of the race from the outset with Lake City runner Michael Voss and they were joined by Voss' clubmate Sjors Corporaal by the 10km mark.
The three leaders ran together through the hills and past the halfway mark, sharing turns at the front for another 17km in perfect conditions.
At 27km McWhirter, a 35-year-old teacher, applied the pressure coming off the last of the hills and the group split up with Corporaal not able to respond and Voss running into trouble.
McWhirter, who has a personal best of 2h 22m 38s, set 12 months earlier at the London Marathon, continued to stretch his lead over the final 10km and came home in winning time of 2h 29m, almost six minutes clear of Corporaal.
Christchurch runner Blair McWhirter charges towards the finish line and a Rotorua Marathon win. Photo / Ben Fraser
The Whakatane farmer finished in 2h 34m 58s for second place while fast-finishing Mick Keating from Auckland reeled in the faltering Voss to claim third. Voss eventually faded to seventh in his first marathon.
McWhirter said the win meant a lot.
"I love coming to Rotorua, the support on course is amazing. The race was great and it was perfect conditions- I'm over the moon.
"I was nice and relaxed for the first half and I knew the back end of the race would be where it was won. I just tried to hold on, then felt good so I made a break after about 27km and never really looked back. I just put my head down and kept going," he said.
The women's marathon saw pre-race favourite Mason, of Cambridge, and marathon debutant Olivia Burne, of Auckland, run together for the first 20km, before defending New Zealand marathon champion Mason managed to get away.
Cambridge runner Alice Mason is the first woman across the line. Photo / Ben Fraser
The 30-year-old doctor finished in an impressive 2h 46m 44s for the tough Rotorua course, more than six minutes ahead of Burne.
Mason was pleased with her time, just outside her personal best set on a fast course in Japan six months ago.
"We were running together until the end of the hills and I felt quite good. [The conditions] were perfect, I can't complain.
"I did my last marathon six months ago so I've just been training solidly since then," she said.
Image 1 of 28: Rotorua Marathon. Photo/Ben Fraser
Burne finished in 2h 53m 18s, with fellow Aucklander Kate Loye finishing strongly to take third place in 2h 58m 28s.
Jono Jackson and Lisa Cross were the winners in the half-marathon on the new course offered this year.
Jackson, of Auckland, took out the men's race in 1h 13m 18s, ahead of Kunaal Rajpal in 1h 19m 13s and Daniel Jones (1h 19m 30s).
Fellow Aucklander Cross won the women's half-marathon with a time of 1h 21m 42s from Mel Aitken (1h 26m 45s) and Erin Furness (1h 38m 32s).
