Athletics: Hooper aiming to continue marathon run

Triathlete Kris Gemmell is one of the favourites to take the Auckland Marathon title this year. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Rowan Hooper of Christchurch will tomorrow try to add the Auckland marathon title to the Christchurch and Dunedin titles that he has won in the past 18 months.

Hooper, 2008 winner Ben Ruthe of Tauranga and triathlete Kris Gemmell will start as favourites for the annual race across the Auckland Harbour Bridge and up and down Tamaki Drive.

Hooper has won the Dunedin marathon twice, in 2007 in a time of 2h 25m 27s and last year, the same year he won at Christchurch in 2h 21m 41s.

"I ran Christchurch this year and was third so it would be nice to go up to Auckland and do better than that," said Hooper.

"It's hard to know how the race will go and what form the others are in, but my training has been going well and I've just come off a good winter of cross-country running."

Hooper rates his flatmate Glynn Hadley, who was sixth at Rotorua in May in 2h 32m 37s, to finish in a high placing.

"We train together and we are keen to run a good first half and then see how it feels over the second half and bring it home."

The carbon analyst, who turned 31 today, will take in a few cross-country races in Europe early next year with the aim of making the New Zealand team to the world cross-country championships in Poland in March.

"I'll be back for the trial in Wellington at the end of January and hope to qualify - to represent New Zealand would be a great thrill," said Hooper.

Olympic Games triathlete Gemmell will start in the adidas-sponsored event and should make a bold showing over the 42.2km distance. Gemmell has won the ITU world cup championship four times.

Ruthe's time last year was 2h 28m 11s. But recent fatherhood has taken a toll on the time he has been able to get out to train.

His wife, Jess, is the favourite in the women's marathon.

"Jess has been out training while I look after Sam, so at the moment my training has been in the weekends," said Ruthe. "I'm weighing up whether to run with her or race.

"When she gets into a race she is pretty competitive, she will go out at 2h 50m pace and take it from there."

Johanna Bohlin of Sweden, who has predicted a time of 2h 50m, and Lara Phillips, Rotorua winner this year in 2h 55m 49s, should provide Jess Ruthe with plenty of competition.

Bohlin, 19, ran her first marathon last year, finishing 17th in the Stockholm marathon in 2h 59m, improving to seventh place in 2h 52m 50s in Stockholm in May.

The half marathon across the bridge doubles as this year's NZ championship and as a result has attracted top-class fields.

Dale Warrander will cross the Tasman from his Gold Coast base for a crack at the title. He won the national half-marathon title in 2006 in Christchurch and has a personal best time of 1h 2m 51s, set in winning in Auckland in 2005. In the past six years Warrander has stayed unbeaten in both the marathon and half marathon over the bridge.

"It is one of my favourite races on the racing calendar, I'm looking to run around 65 minutes if conditions are good," he said.

Others in the field capable of a podium finish are 2007 marathon winner Matt Smith, Sam Dobson and Sam Wreford.

In the women's half marathon previous winners Suzi Richards, Shireen Crumpton and Melissa Moon will be lining up against Nikki Hamblin, who competed with distinction in the 1500m at the world championships in Berlin in August, Sarah Biss, Maria Bentley, Johanna Ottosson, Gabrielle O'Rourke and Gracie Keown.

O'Rourke won the national half marathon title in 1997 and 1998 and Crumpton won it for three years in a row from 2002.

The marathon and half marathon start at separate times from Devonport this year, with the marathon starting at 6.10am and the half marathon at 6.45am. Both races finish in Fanshawe St alongside Victoria Park.