Patience rewards marathon winner | Manawatu-Wanganui Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Manawatu-Wanganui

Trentham United had a field day in Wanganui 3-Bridges Marathon races on Saturday, although that club's half-marathon winner Brian Garmonsway didn't want his race to be any further.

The effects of a recent illness meant his legs were slowing markedly as the finishing line neared but Wellington Harriers' Andrew Leighton was still 25s behind at the post.

Full marathon distance winner Michael Beaumont (Trentham) played the patience game early in the men's event as the younger Brent Harris (Wanganui) went out very quickly - and paid the price.

Beaumont, in his 13th marathon, believed the inexperienced Harris would stop - and he did. Beaumont, behind by 1m34s at the Putiki Drive drink station on lap two, had cut that to 34s at the start/finish line on that lap, and by the time the leader approached Kowhai Park on the third lap, Beaumont had taken the lead and a limping Harris was history.

Behind them last year's winner Bruce Edwards (Rotorua) was never really going freely and couldn't threaten, and Beaumont eventually won by virtually 10 minutes from Wanganui's Russell Hewitt, with clubmate Pat Carson third three minutes later.

"This was my 13th marathon and my best by three and a half minutes," said a happy Beaumont. "I didn't know anything about Harris, but I just knew I was going to get him because I was slowly gaining the whole way.

"He went out too fast - it's a common mistake in marathons. My plan was to keep it consistent - and I did four-minute kilometres the whole marathon. The only problem was that it was quite humid out there."

Defending champion Garmonsway also went out very strongly in the men's half marathon, something he says is entirely normal.

"That's my normal pace, but I have been a bit crook lately. I have trouble slowing the pace when I'm not prepared for it."

That resulted in a time of 1h 19m 42s against the 1h 16m last year. Garmonsway was 38m 30s at halfway and rather slower over that second half as Leighton closed.

The women's marathon was taken out by a Kihikihi (Waikato) trails runner in 38-year-old Kirsten Milne, who decided to run the event to celebrate her birthday yesterday.

This was only her second marathon, and she says the reason for her 3h 15m 14s time (6 min slower than her first run in Christchurch) was the fact she hadn't done enough work.

"I haven't really done any long runs towards this one, so I was only going to see how it went," said Milne.

"The plan was it's my birthday, so I wanted to come down with my family and do a marathon for my birthday."

Children Mia, Isaac, Jamila and Rain followed her around the course.

"It's a neat course, really well laid out," said Milne.

She won very comfortably.

She liked it so much she might well come back next year - "and I'll try to do a few longer runs (in preparation)."

After earlier slow entries, a late flush on Friday/Saturday netted a total 467 entries, more than the previous year.