New Zealand: Huntly Half Marathon Announces Big Increase in Prizes

This year’s Huntly Half Marathon is shaping up as the richest in it’s 25 year history.

The twenty-fifth anniversary of this iconic event on the New Zealand running calendar will take place at Huntly on Sunday 22 May.

A record $50,000 in prizes will be up for grabs in the Huntly Retravision/Fisher and Paykel Half marathon and the associated Solid Energy 10km. That makes the event one of the richest running events held in New Zealand for some time. Almost $8,000 is available for prize money for the top competitors, while the remaining $42,000 will be spot prizes, available for all participants.

Organised by leading club Hamilton City Hawks, the silver jubilee of the event is already attracting great interest. A special silver medal will be presented to all finishers.

Huntly Half is essentially a people’s event which last year attracted 1784 participants. This year well over 2000 are expected to take part in the event which is based on a fast but attractive course located on the east side of Huntly.

This year, Huntly doubles as the 2005 Athletics New Zealand Half Marathon Championships, so it will attract elite as well as recreational runners and walkers.

Starting and finishing at Hakanoa Domain, the event has some unique features. It takes in the eastern suburbs of Huntly, traverses rural roads, runs through the Solid Energy East Mine and finishes with a lap around the scenic Lake Hakanoa walkway.

The 25 year history of the event shows that it attracts top class international as well as nationally ranked runners. Past winners read like a who’s who of New Zealand distance running and walking. The men’s course record is held by Olympian Rex Wilson at a quick 62.42 in 1986, In 1982 Hamilton student Wendy Hancock ran a world class 72.00, a record that still stands.

It is a prestigious event to win and past Olympians and world ranked distance stars who have won the event are Alison Roe, John Walker, Dianne Rodger, Marguerite Ritchie, Peter Renner, Trevor Wright, Anne Hare, Nyla Carroll and Dale Warrander.

Hamilton City Hawks race director Graham Dudfield has been delighted with the strong financial support the club has received from sponsors Huntly Retravision and Fisher and Paykel, Solid Energy, Mizuno, Smith Sports Shoes, Blackmores, the Huntly Community Board and the Waikato District Council towards the 2005 event.