Sarah Biss takes the win in her stride

Rotorua's Sarah Biss cruised to victory in yesterday's Off Road Half Marathon, taking the women's title for the second time in four years.

The 34-year-old led the women's field around the Whakarewarewa Forest course, finishing in a time of 1:18.27 - almost four minutes ahead of Tauranga's Maria Bently.

Biss, who runs for Hamilton Hawks, said she enjoyed the race, which was held in perfect conditions.

"It was good, I like doing this event when I can," she said. "I have run this race once before in 2009, which I also won."

Biss finished sixth overall and pushed the men, including fellow Rotorua runner Graeme Pearson (52), all the way.

"I had a bit of a battle with Graeme on the first lap but he got away from me," she said.

The race served as a training run for Biss, who is now focussing on the Rotterdam Marathon in April.

After finishing a respectable 16th in the Chicago Marathon in October, with a personal best of 2:44:32, she hopes to go even faster on the flat Dutch course.

"Rotterdam is a fast course and I am trying to bring my personal best down," she said. "I would have loved to have done the Rotorua Marathon but my priority is bringing my time down."

Junior world champion triathlete Mikayla Nielsen, 17, of Hamilton, finished third in a time of 1:26.59 while ex-international cyclist Sarah Ulmer was the 10th woman home.

Tauranga's Angus Bell won the men's race in 1:12.38, just over three minutes ahead of his closest rival Phil Murray of Hamilton.

Bell, 31, who represented New Zealand at last year's Commonwealth mountain running championships, said he was surprised by the ease of his victory.

"There were some good runners in the field but they must have been taking it easy today I think," he said. "I think the course might be a bit short because its quite a quick time."

He said he went ahead after the first kilometre and then cruised to the finish line. "I love the hills, I am a mountain runner so it really is my cup of tea," he said.

Next up for Bell is the Rotorua marathon in April.

"This was just a fitness test for that (the marathon). Things are going alright."

The half marathon was just part of yesterday's event, as about 1400 competitors took part in the Little Devils runs, a 5km walk/run and a 10.5km quarter marathon.

Results:

Half Marathon Men: 1 Angus Bell 1:12.38, 2 Phil Murray 1:15.55, 3 Stephen Lett 1:17.27, 4 Graeme Pearson 1:17.42.

Half Marathon Women: 1 Sarah Biss 1:18.27, 2 Maria Bently 1:22.17, 3 Mikayla Nielsen 1:26.59, 4 Judith May 1:31.41.