Marathon: GP, Aussie mum tame HB course

YEAH BABY: James Parsons shows his elation at the finish line of the HB International Marathon in Hastings. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

James Parsons and Leah Fitzgerald are the inaugural Air New Zealand Hawke's Bay International Marathon champions.

Wobbly and badly in need of hydration, the 28-year-old general practitioner crossed the picturesque 42.2km finish line for men at the Sileni Estate Winery in 2h 35m 11s, a shade before 11am after starting at 8.15am from along Marine Parade, Napier, today.

Chris Sanson, of Palmerston North, was second on a day when the temperatures hovered around the mid-20s and runners complained the fresh northwesterlies made life a little difficult.

"It was such a struggle," an exhausted Parsons said not long after he succumbed to gravity at the finish line and sought shade from the barrier.

"I don't think I can convey how hard that was," said the affable Napier Harriers Club member who arrived here last December when his partner, Victoria Lyon, secured a job at the HB Regional Hospital in Hastings.

The Dunedin-born runner, who was the 2014 Queenstown Marathon champion, said the Bay event today was much harder than the South Island resort course.

"In the last 10 kilometres I thought I was going to stop. It was the longest distance of my life," he said with a laugh.

The hot, windy, dry conditions made it difficult but Parsons reconciled that with "at least it's not pissing down with snow".

Notorious for engaging in friendly banter with neighbour and club mate Kristian Day, of Napier, Parsons said he had to back his talk with the walk ... er, run.

"It has to be part of my tactics. If you don't get cocky then you don't have anything to back it up with, do you?" he said, adding it was all tongue in cheek although there was no sign of Day anywhere well after Sanson arrived.

Sanson, 29, a swim/surf lifesaving coach, had to contend with consecutive bridesmaid's rankings when he stopped the clock at 2:37:12.

In the women's marathon, New South Welshwoman Leah Fitzgerald set a blistering pace to claim her first victory on New Zealand soil.

The 33-year-old from Coffs Harbour stopped the clock at 3h 44s, ahead of another mother, Katherine Morgan, 34, of Auckland, who came in second at 3h 14m.

Hometown favourite Ruby Muir, of Napier, like partner Day, wasn't among the front runners nearer the finish line.

"I was a bit surprised because I knew Ruby was quite a good runner coming into it ..." said the restaurant manager of Muir, a champion trail runner.

Fitzgerald shook her off at the 18km mark and was anticipating Muir would make a late charge with about 10km to go but that didn't eventuate.

"I was waiting for her to pick me up but she never [did] so I figured I must have had quite a lead," she said, looking more stable on her feet than the two leading blokes.

OI, OI, OI: Leah Fitzgerald, of Coffs Harbour, was the female champion as male champion James Parsons (left) claps her home. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

In the men's half marathon, Whakatane teenager Hayden Wilde was first (1:11:18) ahead of Parsons' coach, Craig Kirkwood (1:13:54), of Tauranga, while Christchurch runner Malcolm Hodge was third (1:16:54).

In the female equivalent, Olivia Ritchie, of Hamilton, was champion after coming in a time of 1h 26m flat.

Aucklander Posey Wall was second on 1:27:11 and, organisers suspected, Grace Ritchie, the winner's teenage sister from Hamilton, was third with a time of 1:27:17.

The Ritchies hail from a pedigree background, following in the footsteps of their mother, Marguerite Ritchie (nee Buist), who has reportedly represented New Zealand in Olympics.

The 53-year-old was under the 2:30 mark when running in the Boston and Nagoya marathons in 1989.

Her daughters also run in the middle-distance track events as members of the Hamilton City Running Hawks Club.