Whangarei marathon runner Ady Ngawati will lead a Northland assault on the New Zealand Half Marathon championship title staged as part of the ever-popular Kerikeri Half Marathon event tomorrow.
Ngawati is the hot favourite to win the women's title after setting a personal best to win the women's title at the
Auckland Marathon two weeks ago. But she is keeping her build-up low profile until she scopes out the opposition at the start line in Okaihau.
"It would be fantastic - I'm going to give it a really good go and try to crack it - my first New Zealand running title," Ngawati said.
Ngawati will not have an easy victory though, with challenges likely from Auckland's Hanny Allston, who scored bronze in the New Zealand Road Championships, along with Melissa Norris and Kristine Reid, two well-performed masters runners.
The pace will be hot from the startline though, with a vast array of New Zealand's best distance runners heading north chasing national honours.
Nelson's Kim Hogarth, winner of the New Zealand Half Marathon title 2005 in a fast 1h 8m 58s, will be chasing his second New Zealand Half Marathon title to add to his four New Zealand steeplechase titles.
Takapuna's Stephen Lett, the Kerikeri winner last year and in 2005, is eyeing his third Kerikeri title with the New Zealand Championship an extra carrot. Lett beat Hogarth by more than a minute in this year's Christchurch Marathon.
Others likely to be among the medals are Michael Petrina (Auckland), Robbie Robinson (Auckland University) and Graham More (Pakuranga).
There will also be some fierce competition among Northland runners as the race will also decide the Northland Half Marathon title, with Whangarei's Chris Honiss tipped to be first Northlander home.
In the masters 50-54 age-group, Whangarei's Ian Calder will be seeking to add the New Zealand title to his Oceania Half Marathon title, won earlier in the year. In the 60-64 age-group, Whangarei's Fred Needham will be out to better his second place in the New Zealand 10km Road Championships, by taking gold on Sunday.
The superbly fit 65 year-old Tony Langton is also likely to take a New Zealand title. The race starts at 8am.
