Posts in 'Marathon' category

Queenstown Marathon 2023:
Marathon # 106

Queenstown Marathon was a bit of a spontaneous last minute thing. Everything seemed to align. It was a long weekend, accommodation was sorted, and family was able to look after our kids for a couple of days. So my wife and I hopped into the car and made the 6 hour trip from Christchurch to ... read more.

Hawke’s Bay Marathon 2023:
Marathon # 102

I’d never done the Hawke’s Bay Marathon before as it’s normally in May which is usually a busy running month for me. However, due to Cyclone Gabrielle, the event was postponed to August so I was keen to experience it whilst also visiting family in the Hawke’s Bay. My cousin Mary and her birmen cat ... read more.

Taupo Marathon 2023:
Marathon # 101

Oh man, it’s been a stressful month! For most of winter, I’ve left for work in the dark only to return home in the dark again. Stuck in my office chair all day (I really need to explore that standing desk), my back is sore and it feels like I’m losing my hair. Hence, I ... read more.

Selwyn Marathon 2023:
Marathon # 100

100 marathons – A reflection If someone told you that you’d run a hundred marathons one day, would you believe them? Of course not! Yet somehow, I’ve reached this milestone. I ran my first marathon just before my 21st birthday in 2003. Back then I was a 3rd year medical student who played rugby but ... read more.

Rotorua Marathon 2023:
Marathon # 99

I hadn’t planned to do the Rotorua Marathon this year as I’d entered the Ultra Trail Australia (UTA) 100km which was one week after Rotorua. However, when I got wind that one of my cousins was hoping to run his first road marathon at Rotorua, I felt obliged to support him. When two more of ... read more.

Mt Oxford Odyssey Mountain Marathon & Christchurch Marathon 2023:
Marathon # 97 & 98

Prelude – Courtney is picking up my registration pack for the Mt Oxford Odyssey Mountain Marathon. Courtney: “Number 149, Courtney Molloy for the 33km and number 36, John Molloy for the marathon.” Crew member: “John Molloy, is that Dr John Molloy? He’s done this event a few times hasn’t he?” Courtney: “Yes, and he’s doing ... read more.

Auckland Marathon 2022:
Marathon # 96

Oh my goodness. It’s 4.45am and Courtney, Paul, and I are making our way through the Auckland CBD in torrential rain. I’m lubricated up to my eye balls and I’m trying to keep my feet dry. It’s bucketing down and water is gushing along the gutters and spilling onto the foot path. We bump into ... read more.

Mt Oxford Odyssey Mountain Marathon:
Marathon # 93

Reputedly NZ’s toughest marathon, the Mt Oxford Odyssey certainly lives up to its reputation. With 3500 metres of elevation gain packed into 42km, it easily makes my top three for the toughest marathons in NZ (Mt Difficulty Ascent and the Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon would round out the top three [though Mt Difficulty is 44km]). ... read more.

Mission Mt Somers Marathon 2021:
Marathon # 92

Covid’s been a bit of a wrecking ball for events so I was grateful that the Mission Mt Somers Marathon went ahead. As is becoming the norm for Covid events, there were staggered registration times, staggered starts, mandatory masks at the start/finish area, and no volunteers at aid stations. After a stressful week at work ... read more.

Rotorua Marathon 2021:
Marathon # 91

Although I spend most of my time in Christchurch now, I always enjoys running in Rotorua. If there is such a thing as a ‘spiritual running home’, then mine would be Rotorua. Rotorua (and the Redwood Forest in particular) is where it all started for me. What started as 10km runs in the forest during ... read more.

The Coastal Ultra 71km 2021
Christchurch Marathon 2021: Marathon # 89

I was initially attracted to the Coastal Ultra as it was in the Catlins which is an area in NZ I’ve never been to before. It was a new event and 99% of the course was on private land so the opportunity to explore rarely ventured territory appealed. However, the Coastal Ultra was also on ... read more.

4 Paws Marathon 2020:
Marathon # 88

Wow! A lot has happened since my last blog in March following the NZ Ironman. My last marathon was the 4 Paws Marathon in 2019 and I would’ve never thought that my next marathon would be the 2020 4 Paws Marathon. When COVID-19 entered the scene, the event industry and my running calendar was thrown ... read more.

4 Paws Marathon 2019:
Marathon # 87

The 4 Paws Marathon was a special event for me. After more than a year of planning and negotiating, all of a sudden, the start line was upon me. The only difference being I had created this start line and it brought associated responsibilities. The genesis of the 4 Paws Marathon not surprisingly came one ... read more.

WUU-2K 43KM Marathon 2019:
Marathon # 86

A mid-winter marathon is always tough. Seldom is preparation ideal and getting to the start line can be difficult. Training days are short, the cold bites, and viruses reign. Thank fully, I managed to stay healthy enough in order to do the necessary training to give the WUU-2K the respect it deserves. Having done the ... read more.

Christchurch Marathon 2019:
Marathon # 85

The weather forecast for the Christchurch Marathon wasn’t overly inspiring. A cold southerly front with rain and a high of 9 degrees Celsius. Running on the 2nd of June seemed like a good idea three weeks ago. Today, I’m not so sure! It is 6.30am and I can hear the howling wind outside and the ... read more.

Christchurch Marathon 2018:
Marathon # 84

As much as I like participating in my home town marathon, the chances of favourable weather conditions aren’t great in Christchurch during winter. So when I wake up and it is dark, cold, and wet; it can be difficult to get out of bed yet alone leave the front door. Getting to the start line ... read more.

Mt Oxford Odyssey Mountain Marathon:
Marathon # 83

I’d been looking forward to the Mt Oxford Odyssey mountain marathon all week. After a busy week at work, a marathon in the mountains is a perfect way to escape life’s demands. Despite Oxford only being a 50 minute drive from Christchurch, it’s like my working week has continued as I’m rushing to get to ... read more.

Rotorua Marathon 2018:
Marathon # 82

Some marathons I enjoy more than others and the Rotorua marathon is one of those. Having grown up in Rotorua, most of my running apprenticeship was served in this small town. Many hours have been spent running in the Redwood Forest and along the Blue and Green lakes. Even though my first marathon was in ... read more.

Arrowsmith Marathon 2018:
Marathon # 81

There’s something that keeps drawing me back to the Arrowsmith marathon. In 2013, I ran my 50th marathon at this event. This year, it will be my 5th Arrowsmith marathon. The routine to the start line is no different this year. Alarm set for 5am, I wake up and get into my pre packed car. ... read more.

Shotover Moonlight Mountain Marathon 2018:
Marathon # 80

Absence makes the legs grow fonder! After a refreshing Christmas and New Year’s break, it’s nice to welcome 2018 with a favourite past time of mine – running a marathon. Running marathons quenches my thirst for adventure. It is a way of connecting with my inner child. An opportunity to lose oneself in play. The ... read more.

Honolulu Marathon 2017:
Marathon # 79

Aloha from Hawaii! It was my first time going to Hawaii so I was really looking forward to the Honolulu marathon. This was a planned holiday and marathon double with my family. My wife had also entered the marathon after a one year hiatus from marathon running. The Honolulu marathon is the fourth largest marathon ... read more.

Mission Mt Somers Marathon 2017:
Marathon # 78

I’ve been looking forward to Mission Mt Somers Marathon all year. I’d never been to Mt Somers before so this was a new playground for me to explore. The run was only 90 mins drive from Christchurch along the inland scenic route. I set my alarm for 4.30am and arrived in the small town of ... read more.

Wuu-2k Trail Marathon 2017:
Marathon # 77

This year was the first time I had run the Wellington Urban Ultra (WUU) 2k marathon. It’s always nice to run an event for the first time. It keeps running fresh. Leading up to the WUU, I was both excited and apprehensive. The last time I ran a marathon in Wellington, it was wet, cold, ... read more.

Christchurch Marathon 2017:
Marathon # 76

After two years in Sydney, it’s great to be back running in Christchurch. When I think of the Christchurch marathon, I think of running through seasons. When I was a medical student, I used to do a lot of my marathon training runs along the Avon River. Come spring, daffodils would populate the river bank ... read more.