Half Marathon: Husband, wife take title honours

Ben Ruthe and Jesse Ruthe celebrate after winning the elite men's and women's races at the Tauranga Half Marathon yesterday.

Husband and wife team Ben and Jesse Ruthe took the individual honours at the 10th Tauranga Half Marathon in perfect conditions in Matua yesterday.

It was a triple delight as their eldest son Sam turned six yesterday. A touch of croup in the household complicated their preparation but both ran superbly to comfortably win the elite men's and women's races.

Ben's time of 1:10:12 was five seconds outside the course record and he finished one minute ahead of a quality field with Craig Kirkwood second and brothers Kyle MacDonald (third) and Iain MacDonald (fourth).

Ben says he should have pushed himself harder to set a new time.

"I probably should have got it. To have events like this that you can turn up to year after year motivates you to keep training and keep pushing. It is great to have a goal and what a great event. It is on the loops, beautiful waterfront and good support through town.

"It is really good course. I would call it a flat course but it has a couple of little hills that give you the chance to run tactically and try and make a break. It has enough variation that you can push it and go hard."

In the women's elite race Jesse Ruth was delighted to win as comfortably as she did in 1:17:54.

"We have had a couple of kids sick with croup so I didn't get much sleep. I am a bit run down so I didn't leave much out there today," she said.

"I knew Rowan (Marie Torckler) was about 30 seconds behind and I think if I didn't have her pushing me I would have run slower. I knew Ben was winning at the turn at halfway and I thought if he wins I can't not win because that would let the whole family down. It will be nice to look back and say we both won the Tauranga Half on our son's sixth birthday."

Event organiser Scott Newman was delighted with the turnout in the half marathon, 14km, 7km and Matua Mile races.

"It is great to get to our 10th anniversary and we have been increasing numbers year on year. We are about 150 up on last year. There are plans to target Auckland and Waikato markets. It is all about visitation so we are looking to continue to grow the event."

-Results: www.taurangahalfmarathon.co.nz