Aaron Carter

New Zealand’s fastest-growing city, Tauranga, is launching its inaugural international marathon in 2017, and Aaron Carter’s team at Total Sport have created a course that takes in the famous Mt Maunganui loop and waterfront, before crossing the bridge to finish in an event village on The Strand in Tauranga.

How did you decide the route? A key factor was to create a course that appeals to a wide range of people: the newbies, the recreational athletes and weekend warriors as well as the elite athletes at the sharp end of the field. We’re promoting this Tauranga course as #fastflatfun. Have you got any special guests? There’s a huge out-of-region participation rate, about 70% from outside Tauranga and 10% from overseas, mainly Australia. And we have celebrity ambassadors running, including Ria Hall, Samantha Hayes, Mike McRoberts, Mel Homer and Mark Eagle.

How would you describe your diet and lifestyle?

I have a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle, and I believe that physical activity on most days is important. Without being a calorie counter, I believe if I go for a run, then I’m probably in some sort of calorie credit, and I also know that’s not necessarily the correct way to think. For me, it comes back to living an overall active, healthy lifestyle, where a good diet (most of the time) is important. But I believe we shouldn’t beat ourselves up or feel guilty for having a wee splurge now and then. What did you have for breakfast today? Plunger coffee with honey and milk and Vogel’s toast with Olivani spread and Pic’s crunchy peanut butter. On the weekend, I’ll almost certainly have scrambled eggs, again on Vogel’s, with avocado, if I can find a good one, and tabasco sauce.

What was your lunch today? It’s about to be sushi, where the main thing on my plate will be salmon

and avocado in a brown-rice roll.

What is your typical evening meal? Lots of salads. They’ll include things like quinoa, orzo, spinach, kale, basil, feta, halloumi, sundried tomatoes, olives, chorizo and chickpeas. And sometimes

I’ll include chicken, beef or lamb.

The Tauranga International Marathon, October 7; marathontauranga.co.nz