Runners build up

Wednesday 19: With the annual Island Car & Bike Hire Round Rarotonga Road Race (RRRR) now just over a fortnight away, local runners are staging their final events as they prepare for the RRRR which will be held on Saturday September 5.

Last Saturday saw the annual half marathon with some 20 starters on the line at 6.30am.

The race proved to be a close contest with the first three place getters finishing within 90 seconds of each other.

Leading the field in were Roland Neururer who won in 1:29:21 from the first women Kelly Pick who recorded 1:30:25.

This week’s event will be a handicapped 5km event which will start from the Punanga Nui market at 5:15pm on Thursday

Local entry forms for the RRRR are now available and the organisers are asking that these be returned to Race Coordinators DMCK at Island Hopper opposite the Parliament building in Nikao.

Costs for the races are: Saturday 31km $30, Saturday 10km $10 and the Tuesday relay is $20 per team (Teams of 5 or 10 persons)

Results of the Half Marathon: (men 21km) Roland Neururer 1:29:21, Kevin Henderson 1:30:50, Geoff Stoddart 1:35:42, Richard Barltrop 1:53:43, Rico Teura 2:09:42, (women 21km) Kelly Pick 1:30:25, Vanessa Palmer 1:40:07, Louise Wittwer 2:08:48, Rebecca Washbourne 2:10:16, Pare Tangata 2:20:32, Karyn Vinsen 2:21:48, Mona Henderson 2:23:00, (men 10.5km) Thomas Henderson 41:45, David Lobb 1:00:24, (women 10.5km), Debbie Rankin 46:42, Rangi Apera 51:28, Peta Ngari 1:07:50, Melanie Wilson 1:08:10, Lotu Vea 1:09:35, Apii Napa 1:09:46.