Athletics: Warrander wins two in a row

Dale Warrander conquered the Rotorua marathon for the second year in a row, winning the 42.2km lap of the lake in 2h 22m 38s.

The Athens Olympian had a lonely run throughout, clearing out to an early lead that saw him two-and-a-half minutes ahead of Kim Hogarth of Palmerston North mid-way through the journey.

The 31-year-old confessed to not feeling too flash over the second half but still won by nearly six minutes.

"I struggled towards the end. I wanted to get out into the lead and relax, but by 20km I was not too great so it was a matter of regathering myself and taking on fluids and concentrating to the finish line," he said.

The Tauranga-based runner was a minute faster than his winning time last year, providing him with the perfect stepping stone to a fast time for July's Gold Coast event and the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

"I have not done that many long runs and I need to get used to the distance. It was a matter of my legs giving way more than mental."

Hogarth was strong on the uphill section between 15km and 20km and was well clear in second, but in the end just held out fast-finishing Joe Piggin, formerly of Dunedin and now Auckland.

Hogarth, New Zealand 3000m steeplechase champion for the past three years, recorded a personal best of 2h 28m 10s, 13 minutes faster than last year.

"I haven't done the training to justify that time and I was surprised I held him [Piggin] out," said Hogarth.

Piggin recorded 2h 28m 39s, also a career best, in the Lion Foundation-sponsored event.

Adam Berry from Auckland City Athletic Club took the honours for the fastest first-time marathon with 2h 46m 0s, finishing 11th.

A relative unknown - Mikki Williden - was first in the women's section in 3h 00m 52s.

Ruth Kingston led fellow Aucklanders Joanna Gemmell and Melanie Burke over the first half. By 35km Williden had caught the Wellington Scottish Club sisters Bernie Portenski and Michele Allison.

"Michele and Bernie were great. They said to me that if I had anything there and if I wanted to win it to go for it," said a surprised Williden.

It was Williden's third marathon, having run at Christchurch and Auckland, where she did 3h 7m last October.

"I was just lucky that Nyla Carroll and Melissa Moon were not here," said the fresh-looking Williden.

The 27-year-old from Dunedin, who is at Teacher's College in Auckland, said she just enjoyed running.

Burke, having her first taste of the marathon distance, was second in 3h 4m 31s, with the amazing Portenski taking third overall in the 55-59 age group record of 3h 6m 46s.

Max Dravitzki of New Plymouth, who holds the M50 and M55 records, added the M60 record after finishing 27th in 2h 54m 56s, three minutes under the record.

Eighty-four-year-old Les Marsh of Katikati was two minutes faster than his time last year in finishing second in the 80-plus age group in 6h 43m 0s. Colin Thorne of Kamo, who holds the record for this age group, was first in 5h 34m 54s.