Crowds enjoy puffing Round the Bays

An estimated 70,000 participants snake around Tamaki Drive for the annual Round the Bays fun run in Auckland. Photo / Richard Robinson

About 70,000 people filled Tamaki Drive yesterday morning as they wove along the course of the Round the Bays fun run.

Event spokeswoman Zoe Hawkins said the total number of participants had not been finalised, but about 40,000 people registered and organisers estimate a further 30,000 also completed the course.

Buses carried participants from stops along Tamaki Drive to the finish line from 7am. A bus breakdown brought the start time back by 15 minutes to 9.45am.

The winner of the 8.4km race, in 29 minutes and 8 seconds, was Roman Kruszewski, 50.

He has been a serious runner for a long time and decided to enter Round the Bays on his birthday several months ago.

Winner of the women's division was 26-year-old Sarah Devoy, a chemistry and science teacher at Pakuranga College who credits inter-school rivalry with her need for speed. Sarah completed the distance in 31 minutes and 25 seconds, more than two minutes ahead of last year's winner, 21-year-old student Gracie Keown.

The event is an important part of their annual training calendar for the wheelchair athletes.

Brett McArthur, who travelled from Melbourne specifically for HSBC Round the Bays, completed the race in 19 minutes and 37 seconds to win the wheelchair division. He has participated 10 times but said this year was the toughest.

Auckland region's three district health boards created the biggest team of runners in the event's history with 1542 entrants.

In fourth place, 30-year-old Simon Riley found himself the winner of the 1996 MG F car given away by Moro as part of its "come fourth to win" campaign, which celebrates gutsy Kiwis who get out and give things a go for the love of it.

Round the Bays has been an annual event in Auckland since 1972, when it was initiated by the Auckland Joggers Club. The first run attracted 1200 participants. Funds raised are dedicated to children's charities.