Athletics: Field of winners head for start line

Phil Costley

Phil Costley of Christchurch and Craig Kirkwood of Wellington look set to battle out the Auckland Marathon on Sunday morning.

Costley has won the marathon three times, but has not competed in the event since the Harbour Bridge became part of the course in 2000.

Kirkwood will be coming into the race just three weeks after running the Chicago marathon.

Also in the field is three times winner of the adidas Auckland marathon Mark Hutchinson from Queensland.

Bernie Portenski, 55, of Wellington, four times previous Auckland winner, returns and should win the women's full marathon.

Dale Warrander from Tauranga and Shireen Crumpton from Dunedin will be using the associated half marathon as part of their build up to a bid to make the marathon event at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

Last year Warrander won the marathon from Devonport across the Harbour Bridge and up and down Tamaki Drive in a course record 2h 16m 49s, but has opted this time for the half.

Kirkwood won the half last year in 1h 5m 11s, breaking Warrander's 2003 record by 37s.

Warrander is aiming to run under 2h 11m at the Fukuoka marathon on December 4. The standard for selection to Melbourne is 2h 15m.

Also in the half marathon is Warrander's training companion Mark McKeown and Athens Olympic Games triathlon silver medallist Bevan Docherty.

Crumpton, three times New Zealand half marathon champion and the current national marathon champion, should have an interesting battle with Melissa Moon and Sarah Christie in the women's half marathon.

Christie is a four-time winner and holds the course record of 1h 14m 56s set in 2001, while Moon won the 2000 Auckland marathon.

Crumpton was just 3s outside the qualifying time for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games with her time of 2h 37m 3s in the world championships in Helsinki in August.

She aiming for a sub 2h 37m time in the Las Vegas marathon on 4 December 4.