Costley wins Rotorua

ROTORUA – Rotorua Marathon – 28 April 2012

Phil Costley wins Rotorua Marathon 2012

Phil Costley won the Rotorua Marathon for the third time on Saturday, fifteen years after his first victory.

The 42 year old took control of the race at 40km after a two way battle with Blair McWhirter, into a head wind, over the previous 8km.

Costley, from Nelson, crossed the finish at Government Gardens in 2h 28m 26s, with just 18 seconds to spare over McWhirter of Christchurch.

“It is a great event, and as long as I am still running and still enjoying it I’m still in there. I think my experience paid off today and I was able to squeak in,” said Costley.

“It’s good to mix it with the young fellas and keep them honest and it was great having my family here watching today. I have five older sisters who have been involved in running in the past,” he added.

His sister Jillian has won at Rotorua four times, and Costley will be back next year to try an equal her record.

It has been a successful month for Costley having won the New Zealand mountain running title in Motueka two weeks ago increasing his total of national running titles, that have been won over the past 18 years, to 31. McWhirter was third in last year’s Christchurch and Auckland marathons.

The curtain has come down on Dale Warrander’s marathon career. In what was possibly his last start in a marathon the 38 year old, aiming for his sixth win at Rotorua, was forced to withdraw injured at 25km.

The Gold Coast based fitness trainer has had an illustrious running record claiming 13 national titles, a representative at world junior cross country and world half marathon championships. He competed in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games finishing 33rd.

Liza Hunter-Galvan (42), from Texas, followed up her win in the Christchurch marathon last year by taking out the women’s race in 2h 46m 23s.

Hunter-Galvan passed a tiring Lisa Robertson at 32km and went on to finish nine minutes ahead of Wellington’s Gabrielle O’Rourke. Robertson from Pakuranga was third in 2h 59m 22s.

In the associated half marathon Kenyan Kip Kemei won in 1h 6m 31s, four minutes ahead of national half marathon champion Stephen Lett of Takapuna. Kemei won the recent Wellington half marathon by a similar four minute margin. Rebecca Forlong of Auckland, holder of the national junior women’s 3000m steeplechase record, won the women’s half marathon in 1h 25m 1s, over a minute ahead of Michelle Hopkins of Auckland.