The jewel in Whanganui's crown enhanced by Round the Lake Relay

This year's Round the Lake Relay is scheduled for September 7. Photo / NZME

Often visitors help us see the value of what our city and region have to offer. Residents often take for granted our many riches.

I was reminded of this recently at Virginia Lake when a young woman with her boyfriend asked me if I was the person who organised Round the Lake Relay, because she thought she recognised me. She mentioned she had run for a Wellington College team a few years ago and on passing through on her way north, she wanted to walk around the lake where she had enjoyed racing.

I am sure she is not the only former competitor in the annual event who has returned and walked or run around the lake since the event started in 1978. The venue and the team aspect of the event have been its attraction that has brought so many to return.

Although many will have run on more than one occasion, there have been more than 17,000 circuits of the main track from runners in the history of the event at this wonderful venue.

While accepting that some people do not approve of such events, it is on only one day of the year and shows off one of our city's icons to young people involved in healthy exercise. Many, like the young woman, have returned and have warm memories of Whanganui. This year's event is on Monday, September 7.

When hosting the New Zealand Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships in 2014, we opted to hold the road race at Kowhai Park, another wonderful Whanganui asset.

Robert Conder organised a great event in conjunction with the track and field championships at Cooks Gardens, another venue we should be justly proud of. The two events brought 1300 athletes and 1000-plus supporters on that December weekend, with almost 500 running in the park at New Zealand Schools Road Race.

I have written in previous articles about Cooks Gardens and the memorable events held on the iconic track. This includes three New Zealand Championships, three North Island Schools (another coming next year) and three New Zealand Schools Championships, three New Zealand combined events, biannual New Zealand Masters, not to mention the annual Cooks Classic, all held since the all-weather track was put down in the mid-1990s.

All these events build on the legacy of the old grass track where Peter Snell famously set his world record in 1962. The recent events would not have been possible without the bold step of laying an all-weather surface. Perhaps local athletes and the many school athletes participating in training, club nights, regional meets, or the numerous school championships take what we have for granted (Cooks Gardens was used over 50 times last year for athletics events).

Rob Conder has organised many other events in the city including the annual marathon sponsored by Pak'n Save each December where again athletes see a special part of Whanganui as they run around the bridges.

This weekend he is the race manager at the Manawatu-Whanganui Centre Championships, which return to Bason Botanic Gardens in Rapanui Road, Westmere. The venue is another Whanganui treasure and perhaps one of our best-kept secrets. The course has been used in the past and as recently as last year's MWA Championships, providing a good mix of demanding hills and faster running and is a good test of athletes preparing for the New Zealand Championships in Dunedin on August 7.

Racing on Saturday starts with an open walk at 12.30pm. Female grade races start together at 1pm with male grades at 2.10pm. Both male and female grades include masters grades.

The course will be marked and ready for inspection at 11.30am. As in the past the races do not prevent others and spectators enjoying the riches the Bason Botanic Gardens offer.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the first anniversary of parkrun. Seventy-eight athletes took part on a crisp and wonderful Saturday (July 3). The crispness and the ice on the boardwalk by the market meant for the first time the alternative course was used. This is a 2-by-2.5km lap event from the same starting point opposite 282 Taupo Quay, and avoids running along the city boardwalk.

Both the short and full 5km run show another of the many riches of Whanganui. All the many visiting runners have enjoyed the venue and our city. Their praise is always fulsome at coffee afterwards at Columbus Cafe at Mitre 10. The event is held every Saturday at 8am.

We are fortunate to have such riches in our city and we can be proud that in both summer and winter, athletics (used in its widest sense) can see the best of Whanganui,