Loop the Lake signs off for good

It’s ‘all over rover’ for Nelson Events and their iconic Alpine Lodge Loop the Lake after the 29th and final circuit of Lake Rotoiti was run over the weekend.

A sold-out 400-strong field of entrants was treated to an epic day circling Nelson Lakes jewel in the crown and a more than testing 25km course, with Callum Wilkie coming out trumps.

The 2019 winner planned to close in on Phil Costley’s 1:37.42 record and improve on his personal best by a minute and a half, but he fell short with a handy 1:43.19 in front of the largest crowd the event has witnessed.

Phils’ record, unchallenged since 2010, will be set in stone on the plaque soon to be placed near Kerr Bay rock, with DOC permission to be approved.

But, it wasn’t a start-to-finish win for the former Nelsonian now based out of Christchurch, with local Hayden Squance shooting out of the blocks and powering his way up the Mt Robert road before being reeled back in.

And while Hayden never gave up the chase, he also had to focus on Auckland’s Tommy Hayes, who was closing in from behind and finished a mere 16 seconds in arrears.

With almost half the field in the women’s category, Hannah Oldroyd came up trumps after a hard day of racing.

She powered through an elbow graze and was just 51 seconds from a sub-two-hour time, with Fleur Lattimore’s 1.54.50 record from 2012 remaining intact.

Verity King and Sian Redman kept out the rest of the Kiwis for second and third, respectively.

From the 1996 inaugural event with 57 runners and 10 walkers, Greg Fraine and John Murray returned to see the event out.

And while Greg admitted that “father time” made more than an appearance when it was time to put the foot down on any homeward inclination, he still came home to take the over-60 honours.

With 11 sub-two hour 20 minute marathons to his name, Auckland’s Graham Macky’s 2:40.37 time of the Loop the Lake was good enough for 122nd and epitomised that running is a lifelong sport.

Next on the calendar is the final Abel Tasman Coastal Classic on October 12, which will be Nelson Events' last dance as they earn a well-deserved seat in the grandstand.

Results:

Men: Callum Wilkie 1 (Christchurch) 1:43.19; Hayden Squance 2 (Nelson) 1:45.31; Tommy Hayes 3 (Auckland) 1:45.57.

Women: Hannah Oldroyd 1 (Kaiapoi/UK) 2:00.51; Verity King 2 (UK) 2:10.16; Sian Redman 3 (Nelson/UK) 2:18.05.

Full results can be found online at www.nelsonevents.co.nz.