Interview with the winners from the Copthorne Rotorua Off Road Half Marathon. Women's winner - Rotorua's Johanna Ottosson and men's champion Steve Morrow (Gisbourne).
Rotorua's Johanna Ottosson overcame a difficult course to retain her Copthorne Off-Road Half Marathon in the Whakarewarewa Forest.
Yesterday's event attracted a record 1400 participants across different distances.
Ottosson, 40, crossed the finish line in 1h 35m 10s after powering through an undulating off-road track, including smooth gravel forest roads to beat second-placed Eden Craig from Bethlehem by more than five minutes. Hamilton's Kirsten Milne finished in third (1h 40m 34s) and Sue Crowley (1h 44m 10s) in fourth.
Local Johanna Ottosson (front, left, bib no. 1917) led from the front to win her second Copthorne Off-Road Half Marathon title. PHOTO/ BEN FRASER
Ottosson, who led from the front, said she was disappointed not to beat her time of 1h 33m 07s from last year, but was pleased just to win in a race that "isn't her type of running".
"I always go out to win," she said. "I run as hard as I can for the win and a win is always enjoyable no matter what the time is.
"It was very tough but I enjoyed it. It takes me about 5km before I get into races like this. It's a really uneven run and isn't my type of running at all. I like the long, flat, boring kind of stretches of road where I can enter a rhythm.
"The sharp downhills are hard for me in this type of running but it's here, it's good you don't have to travel anywhere and we need local events like this."
The local osteopath now has her sights on the Ohope Express Half Marathon in April before possibly entering the Rotorua Marathon in May, which she won in 2010 and 2011.
"I just use this kind of race as a really hard workout," she said. "It will set me up well for the rest of the season. I'll most likely run in Ohope over Easter and I am considering the marathon. We'll just see what I choose to do."
Rotorua's Johanna Ottosson, pictured competing last year, has a busy season ahead on the back of her most recent win. PHOTO/ FILE
Meanwhile, the men's field, over the 21.1km premier distance, was left wide open with last year's men's winner, local Michael Voss, not competing.
And Gisborne's Steve Morrow, 42, running in his first Rotorua Off-Road Half Marathon event, ran strongly to top the podium in a time of 1h 24m 55s - more than five minutes faster than second-placed Briton Robert Hayday, 32, (1h 30m 13s). Rotorua's Dave Cronshaw, 54, finished third (1h 30m 44s).
Morrow admitted to being surprised with his win and said he would "love to return" next year to retain his title.
"It's a very unexpected result for me," he said. "I don't have much leg speed - I tried to kept the same pace and be consistent for the two laps.
"I've been putting in a lot of 20km runs for preparation and I felt strong right from the off. I didn't focus on anyone else around me and I couldn't have told you if anyone was challenging me at any stage.
"It was an awesome course and great to see so many people out there. I would love to come back next year."
The experienced runner is now focused on his Gisborne Harrier Club season that starts in April and the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne road and cross country championships in July and August.
In total 450 competitors from Rotorua entered across all events and international entrants included competitors from Sweden, the USA and Germany.
Today's Copthorne Off-Road Half Marathon in the Whakarewarewa Forest attracted a record 1400 participants across different distances. PHOTO/ BEN FRASER
The day's events also included a 1.5km Fun Run/Walk for 3 to 6-year-olds, 2.5km Fun Run/Walk for 7 to 10-year-olds, 5km Fun Run/Walk and Quarter Marathon Fun Run/Walk.
Race director Murray Fleming, from Event Promotions, said he was delighted with the turnout compared with last year's 500 participants across the different distances.
"We've seen a huge rise and it's been a special day with glorious weather for it," he said.
Fleming added the course did include some tough inclines and a lot of the runners were using the half marathon as a build-up for the Rotorua Marathon.
"We're very lucky to have been given permission for this event to use tracks that are usually just for mountain bikes. This was first set up by Lake City Athletic Club and held on the roads around Ngongotaha, it's come along way since then."
2017 Copthorne Off-Road Half Marathon results:
Men: 1. Steve Morrow (Gisborne) 1: 24: 54; 2. Robert Hayday (UK) 1: 30: 12; 3. Dave Cronshaw (Rotorua) 1:30:43 4. Campbell Walsh (Tauranga) 1:31:32 5. Tony Broadhead (Rotorua) 1:32:22.
