Rotorua Marathon icon Dennis Kenny dies at 86

Former Rotorua Marathon race director Dennis Kenny with the original winner's trophy in 2020. Photo / Ben Fraser

• Dennis Kenny, known as Mr Marathon, led the Rotorua Marathon for 34 years.
• He and his wife, Pam, were pivotal in the event’s early years, managing it as volunteers.
• Dennis Kenny received numerous awards for his contributions, including a Queen Service Medal in 2008.

He was known as Mr Marathon and after 34 years at the helm of one of Rotorua’s most famous events – the Rotorua Marathon – it was a deserving title.

Dennis Kenny devoted a lifetime to giving back to the sports he loved – athletics and marathon running.

He died aged 86 on February 27 after a battle with cancer.

Pam and Dennis Kenny in 2020. Photo / Ben Fraser

Alongside his wife, Pam Kenny, the couple were known as Mr and Mrs Marathon.

Together they were the troopers behind the scenes that ran the Rotorua Marathon in its early years, then known as the Fletcher Marathon.

Dennis was one of the 16 in the starting line-up in the first event in 1965 – finishing sixth in a time of just over three hours.

In the years that followed, he was the race director until 2003.

Dennis Kenny, who died on February 27 at the age of 86, was one of the founders of the Rotorua Marathon and was race director for 34 years. Photo / Supplied

Born in Wellington, Dennis moved to Rotorua with his family in the early 1950s where he finished his schooling at what is now Rotorua Boys’ High School.

He worked for 25 years at Jackson’s Hardware in Rotorua before moving into a different business with the same employer working with kit set furniture.

He then ran a biscuit and confectionery business that sold to suppliers around the Bay of Plenty for 25 years until his retirement.

Dennis Kenny during his early running days. Photo / Supplied

Dennis met his wife through their love of athletics.

He was an active competitor on the track, and in cross-country and road running races and she had represented New Zealand in the high jump at the 1962 Commonwealth Games.

He was secretary of the Rotorua Athletic Club for 30 years and carried out that role alongside his race-directing duties – a role he did alongside Pam, who took care of all the administration duties.

All of their work was done at a time when the Rotorua Marathon was run by volunteers. Today it is a commercial operation run by an event company.

Dennis Kenny was one of the founders of the Rotorua Marathon and was race director for 34 years. Photo / Supplied

Among Dennis’ achievements was receiving a Service Award from the Waikato Athletic Centre and an Athletics New Zealand Merit Award. He was also made a life member of the Rotorua Athletics Club in 1989 and in recent years was made a patron of the Lake City Athletics Club.

While the couple picked up many awards recognising their service to the sport over the decades, the pinnacle was when they were jointly awarded a Queen Service Medal in 2008 for services to athletics.

Dennis Kenny, who died on February 27 at the age of 86, was a hands-on Rotorua Marathon volunteer and race director for 34 years. Photo / Supplied

Pam told the Rotorua Daily Post the couple married in 1966.

She said he was a humble man but his nieces and nephews remarked at his funeral service that he also had a great sense of humour.

“For all those years, he did what he loved to do ... There are lots of people out there who are really dedicated and I guess he was just one of the people from that special group.”

Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.