Tom O’Connor has won the Wharf to Wharf full marathon in 3hr 58min, taking 33 minutes off the time he recorded when he last ran the event in 2019.
O’Connor said the race was particularly demanding because of the amount of climbing packed into the first half of the course.
“That’s such a tough race. Just ’cause the course is, like, front heavy. The first 21Ks, I think there’s not quite 1,000, maybe 900, something metres of vert.”
The challenge was to get through the climbing quickly enough while still having enough left for the second half.
“So you’ve got to sort of manage that to get it done quick enough, but have plenty in the tank, to run all the second half, the runnable stuff.”
O’Connor said his fitness was in the right place to execute the race exactly as planned.
“I think my fitness at the moment, I think I executed perfectly.”
His 3hr 58min finish was a substantial improvement on the 4hr 31min he recorded when he last ran the event in 2019.
“Three hours, 58 minutes,” he said when asked for his time.
“So, that’s a 33-minute PB.”
O’Connor’s father Mike lives on Aotea, having moved to the island around 10 or 11 years ago. Tom said he had been coming to the island with his family for diving trips and other family trips since he was a child.
“So now I’m trying to do the same now that Dad lives here with my young fellow,” he said.
His friend Nathan Miller also made the trip, although O’Connor admitted the decision to enter was helped along by a few drinks.
“Yeah, that’s my mate Nathan. I got him to come and run the half,” he said.
“We had a few rums one night, and then waited for a few more, and then got him to enter.”
Miller went on to finish second in the half marathon behind local runner Elliot Forrest, who crossed the Tryphena finish line in 1hr 46min despite having dislocated his shoulder seven weeks before the race.
Forrest said afterwards that he had been “buzzing” to compete at home, having previously run a half marathon in Auckland, while his mother Orla described the result as “brilliant” for a local runner.
O’Connor had nothing but praise for the Wharf to Wharf itself, describing it as one of the best events he has experienced.
“It’s the best run, friendliest, coolest event I’ve done, and I’ve done events from the 10K distance to the 200K distance in New Zealand and overseas.”
“And this is still, like, I’ve been waiting for seven years for it to be run again, ’cause it’s just the best.”
The event’s reputation for personal support stood out to him throughout the marathon, with marshals and spectators cheering him on by name.
“I don’t know how, but pretty much every marshal on course knew me by my first name.”
“I suppose they’re reading the cheat sheets or whatever, but, um, yeah, just so much support.”
“So many cars just driving by saying, you know, giving support and stuff. Yeah. It’s great.”
That support was evident throughout the course, with locals turning out at the hills and along the roads with food, drinks, costumes and encouragement for competitors.
At the top of Medlands Hill, supporters dressed as bumble bees and bananas cheered runners through, while the bottom of Tryphena Hill featured party girls and Halloween decorations.
For O’Connor, the Wharf to Wharf was also a family affair, with his father Mike and son there to support him at the finish.
“Pretty good,” Mike said when asked what he thought of his son’s performance.
The event brought three generations of the O’Connor family together on Aotea, with Mike living on the island and his son and grandson there to support and take part in the event.
The Wharf to Wharf, known as “New Zealand’s friendliest marathon”, is a fundraiser that brings runners and supporters from around the country to Aotea for a range of events, including the full and half marathons, trail events and shorter races.
There was just one medical callout during the event, after a woman collapsed within the final 5km. She was treated for dehydration by the volunteer ambulance team before being transferred to Aotea Health to recover.
With around 180 competitors taking part across the events, the full marathon provided another standout finish after Forrest had claimed the half marathon earlier in the day, with Miller, who was encouraged into entering by O’Connor, finishing second.
