Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Running: From broken back to marathon champ (+video)

Rotorua Daily Post
15 Nov, 2015 07:12 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Start of the Tarawera Trail Marathon and 50km event at Te Puia on Saturday. Video by Gary Hamilton-Irvine

Only 18 months after breaking his back, Raglan's Tom Wellby has defied the odds to win his first marathon title.

Wellby, 40, won the marathon race on Saturday during the Tarawera Trail Marathon and 50km event in Rotorua.

"I'm a personal trainer and run my own little business in Raglan, so hopefully I can inspire some of my clients," he said.

He said he had recovered well from his broken back last year, which he suffered during a surfing accident, and was stoked to win the gruelling men's race in a time of 4h 0m 35s.

He said he was talked into doing the event by a few friends from Rotorua, including among them last year's 50km winner, Annika Smail.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Some local guys told me about it and knew I loved running," he said. "Annika gave me lots of good advice. She told me at the beginning to be confident because everyone is going to cane it."

Wellby said he even went the wrong way at one point but a few 50km runners helped get him back on track without losing much ground. "I had my head down and went the wrong way."

Meanwhile, Christchurch's Andrea Davies was also surprised and elated to take out the women's marathon title, finishing in a time of 4h 35m 21s.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said she took a few tumbles but was happy to win. Both finished about 10 minutes ahead of their nearest rivals.

Discover more

UPDATED: Ultramarathon: Backhausen, Hayvice claim top prize at Tarawera 50km (+video)

14 Nov 03:10 AM

Ultramarathon: Champions stoked with Tarawera 50km crown (+video)

15 Nov 02:09 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Rotorua Daily Post

Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

03 Jul 10:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

30 Jun 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

25 Jun 07:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

Five Steamers players making waves in the Māori All Blacks

03 Jul 10:00 PM

The Māori All Blacks face Scotland in Whangārei on Saturday.

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

'It’s a big deal': Young gamers chase international esports glory

30 Jun 06:00 PM
'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

'Biggest summer of cricket' shapes up for Bay Oval

25 Jun 07:00 PM
Small but mighty: Kyro gets set for Tai Mitchell challenge

Small but mighty: Kyro gets set for Tai Mitchell challenge

24 Jun 09:26 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP