Athletics: Gut-busting run throws up world champs time

By MURRAY McKINNON

Dale Warrander pushed himself to a gut-wrenching world athletic championship-qualifying marathon time in Auckland yesterday.

Spurred on by his coach Chris Pilone over the final 5km, Warrander drove himself to finish in 2h 16m 50s, under the Helsinki qualifying time of 2h 17m 30s, and on crossing the finishing line brought up his breakfast.

"That's the first time I've done that after a race," said Warrander after a quick recovery.

Warrander joined 6000 half-marathon runners and nearly 1000 full marathon entrants at Devonport, where former All Black Jonah Lomu fired the starting cannon.

He stuck to a pre-race plan and had the assistance of the front runners in the half-marathon to pace him through to Takapuna and on to the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

"I was not that great over the first half, but once I hit the flat and the run along the waterfront I just relaxed and concentrated on churning out each five kilometres as it came."

Soaking up the atmosphere, the perfect conditions and the huge crowd support, Warrander dug deep over the final 5km.

"My coach was calling out to pick it up and I really dug in and although it hurt I am really happy I did it. I wanted to give the world championship qualifying time a crack on home soil."

He also had the satisfaction of carving eight minutes off Mark Hutchinson's 2000 course record.

Warrander said he could relax now and not bother with the Fukuoka marathon in Japan in early December, a race he was contemplating if he had not achieved a qualifying time yesterday. The 31-year-old from Tauranga will have a break of three weeks from running and spend a bit of time with his family.

Grant McLean of Wellington was a distant second in 2h 30m 21s, a minute ahead of Seaton Meredith of Pakuranga.

Tracey Clissold of Gisborne was also in record-breaking form, winning the women's section in 2h 41m 58s, reducing Melissa Moon's 2000 time by nearly four minutes.

"That was an amazing experience, there was so much support out there today," said 36-year-old Clissold at the finish. "I had a flat patch at 20km and in the end I was just gutsing it out. I'm pleased with that time, given all the hills and the bridge. I thought Rotorua was tough but this was just as hard."

Last year's winner Nicole Cope was second, cutting over 12 minutes off that performance with a time of 2h 43m 6s.

While Warrander gained a record, he also lost one, Craig Kirkwood winning the half-marathon in 1h 5m 11s, bettering Warrander's record set last year by 37s. Kirkwood led throughout, beating Canadian Mark Bomba by over two minutes. Robbie Johnston was third in 1h 8m 5s.

Kirkwood was delighted to have finally won after a third and two seconds in the last three years.

Sarah Christie just missed beating her own women's half-marathon record by three seconds in a thrilling finish with Moon.

Christie matched strides with Moon on the descent off the bridge and it was down to who had the best sprint over the final 150m.

Christie, 31, held on in 1h 14m 59s to pip Moon by 2s.

"I was patient early in the race but then I realised I had to hurry to the finish to feed my baby," said Christie. "I was feeling a bit full coming over the bridge."