Athletics: Favourite's eye on Gold Coast pickings

Aucklander Phil Clode is the men's favourite for the 39th Rotorua marathon tomorrow after New Plymouth runner Dale Warrender's withdrawal through injury.

But Clode, 37, is not getting carried away about his chances - he views the event as a buildup to the Gold Coast marathon in July.

"If I win, I win."

The Rotorua race was "part of the bigger picture. It fits in nicely".

"I can probably win if I'm smart," he said.

Clode has come second twice and a win tomorrow would be his first in the Rotorua marathon.

The winner of the Gold Coast event pockets A$10,000 ($11,300), with further financial incentives for beating certain time barriers.

Rotorua no longer held the drawing power for the country's top athletes because of the dwindling prizemoney, said Clode.

First prize is now $3000, down from $5000 and a trip in the past.

"It's all subject to sponsorship, but Rotorua needs to look at that if they want to get runners like Jonathan Wyatt to run there ...

"The guys train really hard and you've got to have a payday," Clode said.

Challenges in the open men's division are expected to come from Tauranga Ramblers runner Mark McKeown, Wellington Scottish's Grant McLean, and local hope Peter Handcock.

With Warrender gone, six athletes have estimated a finish time within three minutes of each other.

McKeown's 2h 27m time is the slickest but well shy of Paul Ballinger's 1988 record of 2h 16m 05s.

Clode has conservatively estimated 2h 28m.

In the women's field, three-times winner Bernie Portenski is likely to battle it out with several contenders for line honours, including Karen File of Gisborne, Bay Cougars' Maree Turner, Hatsue Tsunekawa of Japan, Feilding runner Wendy Cottrell, Michelle McDonald from Russell, and Tauranga second-timer Tracey Crossley.

Crossley almost stole the show last year, duelling with Portenski over the hilly first half of the course, although both fell victim to the heat in the last 10km.

Last year's open men's and women's winners, Japan's Katsumi Tsuchiya and Aucklander Eveline Coombe, are not running the race this year.

- NZPA