Ngawati counts on hill training for title defence

Whangarei runner Ady Ngawati will defend her title at the sixth annual Lydiard Legend Marathon tomorrow, in her first marathon for 2010.
"I'm all good, injury free and feel like I'm ready to race ... I haven't done as much training as I usually do because of work but for the minimal amount I have done, I'm comfortable with where I am at," the two-time Auckland Marathon winner said.
The 33-year-old has spent the past 12 weeks preparing for the event, doing plenty of hill reps up Parahaka and also running a 38km loop from Onerahi to Whareora, crossing Mount Tiger and back, which is comparable to the tough 42km Legend circuit through the Waitakeres.
Set over the Waiatrua route made famous by Lydiard and his athletic proteges such as Peter Snell, Murray Halberg and Barry Magee, the Legend is known as one of the toughest road marathons in the country. It is also the richest, paying out $25,000 in prize money.
Two of Magee's charges Debbie Fillery and Lesley Turner-Hall will be Ngawati's main challengers vying for the women's title on their own stomping ground. They finished second and third in 2009, four minutes behind Ngawati.
"I believe Lesley Turner-Hall has run a sub-three hours this year, it will be a hard race ... but I'm really excited about getting out there," Ngawati said.
Ngawati ran the Legend in 3hrs 5mins last year - not her fastest time - but a good time on this gruelling course. This year, organisers have changed the course slightly, adding another hill and more trail running to the circuit. However, Ngawati will still be aiming to complete the race in around the three-hour mark.
Following the Legend Marathon, Ngawati is set to contest the Melbourne Half Marathon in three weeks time, before vying for another Auckland Marathon title at the end of October.
In the men's division, New Zealand Olympian Dale Warrander is favourite to take out the title. Warrander, 37, who is currently based on the Gold Coast and preparing for a marathon in Japan, used to train on the Waitakere hills every Sunday morning with a group of runners.
It is Warrander's debut in the Lydiard Legend Marathon and he is likely to be pushed by Rotorua athlete Steven O'Callaghan.
The Arthur's Half Marathon has also attracted some top names in the sport, including last year's winner Sam Dobson, Wellingtonian Stefan Smith, top marathon runner Craig Kirkwood and a former pupil of Lydiard, Scott Winton, who won the Legend event last year.
The Legend Marathon and Arthur's Half were first run in 2005 and has seen steady growth since then, and organisers are expecting around 600 competitors at the start tomorrow .
The marathon begins at 6.30am, while the half marathon gets underway at 8am - both events start at the Golf Rd and Portage Rd in Titirangi.