Marathon man marks 30-year milestone
Robert Scott is hoping he doesn’t have to fill in as a pace-runner again when he runs this year’s ASB Auckland Marathon as it celebrates a milestone birthday.
Sunday marks 30 years since the event began in 1992. Scott, 56, had been a constant in one of the pinnacles of the New Zealand running calendar since the start, with 29 finishes to date.
Scott, who ran for Auckland University running club, labelled himself a ‘‘weekend try-hard’’ but has won several marathons, including the Wellington Marathon.
‘‘I’ve placed in most provincial marathons of New Zealand, but I’ve never placed at Auckland.’’
Auckland was just a step too far in terms of being at the front end of the field, he said.
Scott said the reason he kept coming back was because the event was well organised and because he had a raced it every year since it started.
‘‘I’m getting older and if I can run a marathon every year as I am getting older, hey, why not.
‘‘The older I get, the less and less of my age group I see, but there are plenty of old guys still ahead of me.’’
Scott said he didn’t have a favourite year but one memory had stuck with him.
‘‘I came across the 3hr 45min pacemaker and I looked at this guy hanging over a rail on Tamaki Drive and I thought. what the hang?. I spoke to him, and he said, ‘I can’t do it any more, I’m stuffed’. I said give us your bib I’ll run 3hr 45min, but at this stage we were at about a 3hr 52min pace. So I put the bib on and dragged the pace. I got back on schedule 20 minutes later and ended up coming in at 3hr 44min. So I was the unintentional pacemaker that year.’’
A positive change that Scott said he had noticed in his 29 races was the increase in women athletes in the field. He guessed in 1992 it would have been 75 per cent men and 25 per cent women, but today it was about a 50-50 split, if not more women.
The race brings together different communities from across the Auckland region, often raising money for varying causes, and this year’s race will be no different.
The Auckland City Mission’s team will consist of members who have or are experiencing homelessness.
While they come from different backgrounds and have faced different challenges, the charity said they had spent the last year getting together to support each other in training.
Meanwhile, Ben Sinnamon will run the race barefoot to raise money and awareness for KidsCan Charitable Trust.
Amy MacCormack, Regional Director at Ironman Oceania, said it gave her ‘‘goosebumps’’ to be involved in organising the event. She said providing those
The full and half-marathon start at King Edward Parade in Devonport at 6am and 6.50am respectively.
■ The 11km Traverse start line is at Smales Farm bus station, in Northcote, beginning at 8.50am.
■ There are rolling road closures and parking restrictions on the North Shore at various times until 11am. They include: Victoria Rd, Kind Edward Pde, Church St, Church St, Vauxhall Rd, Old Lake Rd, Hamana St, Seacliffe Ave, Winscombe St, Lake Rd, Northboro Rd, Bracken Ave, Burns Ave, Taharoto Rd, Dominion St, Puriri St, Karaka St.
■ In the CBD, affected streets include Halsey St, Victoria Park flyover, Shelly Beach Rd, Sarsfield St, Emmett St, Curran St, Westhaven Drive, Quay St, Beaumont St, Viaduct Harbour Ave, Jellicoe St, Lower Hobson St, Madden St, Custom St West, Tamaki Drive and Ronali Rd. All restrictions are set to lift at 2pm.
■ Participants can check in at The Cloud on Friday from 8am-7pm and Saturdayfrom 8am5pm. experiences to people of all ages and abilities year in and year out was really special.
Moving the event to January after its postponement in October because of the Covid-19 Delta lockdown was no easy feat but was one made possible by her amazing team, she said.
MacCormack said the race was all go under orange and green traffic light settings.