Numbers grow in fanciful fun run

Taupo's Jemima Price (centre) celebrated her 37th birthday at the 12th annual Rotorua Ekiden Marathon relay with friends Kelera Smith (left) and Angie Gow. Photo / Stephen Parker

Hundreds of runners donned fancy dress outfits to run around Lake Rotorua in the 12th annual Rotorua Ekiden marathon relay.

The popular event has become an important social event on the running calendar with 236 teams, helped by fine weather, competing in Saturday's 42km race.

Race director Rob Docherty said the event could grow to double the size after race entries were more than 20 per cent up from last year.

"It proves that if you do something well, people will be attracted to enter," he said.

"We definitely think it can grow as a social event because there are many people wanting to do these and have fun doing it.

"We want to encourage people to get into fancy dress and have a great day out."

Teams in fancy dress outfits numbered almost a quarter of the full entry list, he said.

"It was a fantastic day and the weather made it a great day to showcase the city and the lake."

Overall winners in the men's and women's team sections were Wanganui Collegiate and Glendowie College respectively.

Fifty teams of walkers also entered the event.

Among the runners was Jemima Price, of Taupo, who celebrated her 37th birthday with her Event Junkies team members.

At each 7km leg she was presented with a birthday present by the other team members. "We all met at a 'boot camp' in Taupo and decided to sign up for as many events as we could over the winter," she said. "We have run in the Tough Gals, Taupo half marathon and Xterra event, and the Ekiden was our last one.

"Now it is time to put our feet up for the summer ... It was a fantastic event and really well organised."

The team raised $500 for Breast Cancer Awareness.

Rotorua residents made up 100 of the teams involved, followed by Auckland with 60 teams. Other entries came from Hamilton, Tauranga and Porirua.

The Ekiden traced the Rotorua marathon course for 42km with six team members each running between 5km and 8km.

In line with Japanese tradition, where the race originated, each team member passes a sash, or tasuki, to the next runner. All finishers received a specially minted commemorative medal.