With the Rotorua Marathon fast approaching Ruth Dacey met former race director Dennis Kenny to discuss the return of a very special trophy.
Sitting across the table is a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed looking Dennis Kenny. The Rotorua Marathon director for 35 years beamed while he kept a close eye on the gleaming prize in front of him.
Kenny, 78, had much reason to smile - finally in his grasp was the original winner's trophy for the Rotorua Marathon and his tight hold was unlikely to loosen anytime soon since the sporting relic only reappeared last year after it went missing in 1985.
Each year the overall winner of the Rotorua Marathon was allowed to take home the engraved trophy but when it was being returned from the 1985 winner - Christchurch's Don Greig - it went missing in transit.
According to Kenny, an original founder of the Lake City Athletic Club, the lorry transporting the top prize crashed on the Desert Rd, in a minor accident, and the trophy disappeared "into thin air".
"It was very sad for all of us involved with the race," he said. "I remember in 1986 we had nothing to give the winner [Wellington Harriers' Derek Froude] which was disappointing and a nuisance to us."
A few years later a new prize was made in Rotorua, this time out of bronze rather than synthetic metal, with a wooden base, to replace the missing original. But trophy tragedy struck again in the mid 1990s when the bronze marathon figure broke.
"The original wasn't made out of anything too special - but it's what it stood for," Kenny explained. "We knew we needed to do something so we had a beautiful new trophy made locally. Unfortunately as it happens with trophies it got a little bit battered around and the cast bronze figure ended up breaking - after that nothing was given out, we gave up."
That defeated attitude was transformed at last year's registration for the 52nd Rotorua Marathon after Turangi's Grant Smith, a participant in the race, handed in the original trophy.
According to Smith the trophy had been found on the side of the road by his father - a road contractor, shortly after the lorry crash in 1985, and was stored in the family garage with the intention of returning it to Rotorua.
However the trophy became buried and was forgotten about until Smith cleared out the space last year and unearthed it. Smith handed in the trophy to present to event director Murray Fleming.
"It was wonderful," said Fleming. "It's not just an object - this is a historical record. All the winners have their name on it so it's very special to have it back."
Kenny, who competed in the inaugural 1965 Rotorua Marathon and a second in 1967, said he was over the moon
"Just like that Grant turned up and said 'oh look there's the marathon trophy,' and gave it back. We are so grateful. Everyone involved was chuffed, I never thought we would see it again."
The rebuffed trophy has been updated - each winner's name since 1985 engraved on it and polished. It will presented for the first time since its disappearance at the end of the 53rd Rotorua Marathon on May 6 by New Zealand Athletics' chief executive Linda Hamersley.
Kenny hastily said the trophy would be kept under lock and key after being awarded.
"It probably won't leave our hands, we will take it back off them. We don't want it going walkabout again."
This year's race will be extra special as it celebrates 40 years since the course first ran from Government Gardens and clockwise around the lake, the marathon route we know today. The record for the old course (anti-clockwise) is held by Rotorua's legendary long distance runner Jack Foster - set in 1972 in a time of 2h 17m 51s while the record for the current course is held by New Plymouth's Paul Ballinger - 2h 16m 05s set in 1988.
In the history of the event Rotorua runners have taken home the top trophy five times after Dave Heine won in 1965 and Foster finished first in four events between 1970 and 1975. In the women's field Rotorua's Johanna Ottosson was the winner in 2010 and 2011.
Kenny, who has only ever missed being part of or watching one Rotorua Marathon in 2007, admitted he would love to see a local win the rediscovered winner's prize and said he did not believe Ballinger's record would be beaten anytime soon.
"Of course it would be great if a local runner won it. I'm not sure if we have enough strength and depth to take the overall title but Johanna has a very good shot in the women's race," he said.
"That record [Ballinger's] will stand for a very long time. Back in those days the marathon was the traditional long distance race to be tackled, we didn't have all the other events that are around now, and it was very competitive.
"I've certainly got a soft spot for this race even though I don't have a lot to do with it now. I'll be there sitting on a chair down by the archways to cheer people as they finish - it's more than enjoyable."