Mauao Half Marathon: Former top athletes Bout it out to win Mauao Half Marathon

Two thirds of Team Oreo, Zar Lawrence, left, and Marnus Hanley, which was the first team to finish the Foundation Clinic Mauao Half Marathon with a time of 1:53:49. Photo / Andrew Warner

Three former top sportsmen and good mates entered the Foundation Clinic Mauao Half Marathon to go out and go hard, and ended up winning their race.

The trio, including Kane Baigent, Marnus Hanley and Zar Lawrence - under the name of Team Oreo - took out the team section of the event, finishing in a collective time of 1hr 53min 49sec.

There are three laps for entrants in the Foundation Clinic Mauao Half Marathon, starting at Mount Maunganui's Main Beach. Lap one is a 7.03km track that takes competitors up the stairs, down the north face and around the base, the second is a 7.52km lap that heads up the north face, down the 4WD track and around the base and the third lap is 6.58km, heads up the 4WD track, down the stairs and around the base.

Team Oreo's victory comes with little shock as all three have impressive sports backgrounds.

Baigent, who owns Bout Fitness gym, is a former taekwondo world champion and Queensland Muay Thai kickboxing champion. Lawrence was a regular selection in the All Blacks Sevens team up to 2010 while Hanley was a junior All Black. Both are also regulars at Bout Fitness.

Baigent completed the second lap of the course in a speedy 21.29, averaging 2:51 a kilometre. Speaking the day after the race, Baigent says the team just went out to go hard.

"None of us are really endurance runners. It was pretty gruelling, we were going as hard as we can. My calves are dead," Baigent says.

"Throughout the race you didn't really don't really know where you stand. When Marnus was finishing it was announced then that we were in the lead."

Baigent says it is unlikely the team will race in another event but If something pops up, the competitive edge might kick in.

"We are good mates and was good to get stuck into something. My last fast fight was two years ago, so it was good to be in a group with competitive people."

The team race included 35 entries while Nico de Jong was the first of the 33 male racers and Sabrina Piras was first of the 34 female runners.

Foundation Clinic Mauao Half Marathon's first woman to finish was Sabrina Piras. Photo / Andrew Warner

Foundation Clinic Mauao Half Marathon top runners:
Team
1st: Team Oreo - Kane Baigent, Marnus Hanley, Zar Lawrence, 1:53:49.
2nd:F45 - Cameron Russell, Erica Scrivenor, James Gibb, 2:10:54.
3rd: Fastest Faster and Fat - Sam Barnes, Rodney Colvin, Darren Thorne, 2:13:55.
Women
1st: Sabrina Piras, 2:04:08.
2nd: Maia Flint, 2:08:17.
3rd: Moana Simm, 2:12:16.
Men
1st: Nico de Jong, 1:47:39.
2nd: Andrew Guckian, 1:49:20.
3rd: Terry Fumage, 1:57:49.

Nico de Jong was the first man to cross the Foundation Clinic Mauao Half Marathon finish line on Saturday. Photo / Andrew Warner