This weekend The ASB Auckland Marathon will be celebrating its 30th anniversary on 23 January after being postponed. Having meant to be held in October, the event will once again offer participants the chance to run or walk over the Auckland Harbour Bridge and take in the best views of the city.
Rendell McIntosh (L) and NZ sailor Sir peter Blake (R) Photo: Supplied
The first version of the Auckland Marathon was held in June 1936, but it wasn't until 1992 when the Harbour Bridge was first incorporated, it became the first sports event to cross the landmark.
Co-Founder of the Auckland Marathon Company, Rendell McIntosh fought for a year-and-a-half to incorporate the crossing.
He tells Summer Times the idea was conceived as a way to allow Auckland to compete with other cities that were known for giving marathons iconic backdrops.
“Back in 1990-91 I was looking after the top Olympic marathon runners from Japan and Kenya and during the discussion we talked about having an Auckland marathon and talked about the Auckland Harbour Bridge," he says.
“From that little gem of an idea I then pursued getting support from over 40 organisations, tourism operators, business people, and we approached Transit New Zealand. Just over a year-and-a-half later we finally got permission on the 25 October 1992 we had the first historic run over the Auckland Harbour Bridge.”
Although people now take crossing the bridge during events for granted, before 1992, there had only been three occasions when this had happened.
“Once in 1959, when the Harbour Bridge opened there was 100,000 people walked over the vehicles took over and in 1974 there was a bus strike where people walked over the bridge," McIntosh says. "In 1975 there was the Māori land march, with 3000 participants going over the bridge.”
The 1992 marathon involved over 3000 people entering and 2524 completing the event. There were representatives from 16 different nations who took part and 500 volunteers helped oversee the race.
Although McIntosh didn’t run in the event himself, he enjoyed living vicariously through those who did.
“It truly was a marvellous moment to be part of historically and for the athletes involved, it was terrific,” he says.
Gaining consent for the Harbour Bridge element of the marathon had been difficult, as there were safety fears over whether the combined weight of participants would produce a “swaying effect”, causing the structure to become unstable, he says.
“Nothing occurred whatsoever. The bridge was built to move, but initially there was just that fear that having people run could cause a vibration, and obviously it didn’t. So, we had that trial in 1992 and then from that they obviously - Transit New Zealand, all the officials involved, with police and traffic control - all said ‘yip, it’s safe to do once a year and it’s gone on to celebrate 30 years.”
McIntosh had noted Auckland didn’t have a high-profile marathon like other cities around the world, which were served well by having an iconic backdrop. Even Rotorua was better served with having its lakes entice participants.
“It just clicked to me, because of my background with the tourism side of it, the bridge could be the catalyst to local New Zealanders, but also overseas visitors could come in and participant in something quite unique.”
It was initially planned the event would take place on Labour Weekend each year, as a further means of attracting people, with motels and other businesses benefiting.
The marathon has evolved to include 5km 11km, half-marathon and marathon races, which McIntosh says has attracted people of varying capabilities and made the event more financially viable on a commercial basis. About 150,000 people now participate in the event. McIntosh was heavily involved during the first two years of the enterprise.
He encourages everyone to target a marathon because he says, it’s simply a wonderful personal achievement when completed.
“Anyone can complete a marathon, it’s just a matter of finding someone to train you, whether it’s the YMCA, or a coach with the local running club. It’s just a matter of setting aside six months of lead-in time to start training and building up to it.”
Being healthy helps mentally too, particularly useful during experiences like the Covid-19 lockdowns, he adds.
McIntosh had been an athlete during the 1970s, specialising in 400m and 800m hurdle events, participating in the Commonwealth Games in 1974.
Although he completed a marathon in Greece when he worked for Air New Zealand, others in Rotorua and Christchurch, long-distance running has never been his forte. But he admires those who excel in it.
He has a simple and profound word of advice for those hoping to compete. Stay away from apples. Having one the night before his marathon event gave him a tummy ache, extending the time it took him to complete the course.
“Never eat an apple before a marathon. It just causes contractions in the stomach and it can cause a stitch.”
