Marathon will bring tourist dollars to city

Press, 3 June 1982, Page 23

Marathon will bring tourist dollars to city

(By .

JOHN DREW

More cities throughout the world are bringing more tourist dollars into the coffers of their business communities by staging big annual. international-com-munity 42.2 km marathon road races. This is why far-sighted city councils, such as those in London. New York and Honolulu. are getting so solidly behind their huge and growing city marathons. Each year, as their city marathons grow bigger, they reap a richer tourist dollar bonanza from marathoners from overseas, as well as from a big influx of marathoners, their friends and supporters, and from spectators. This Sunday's Nike City of Christchurch International Marathon, through the indefatigable drive of its organising committee and its race director, Rod Rutherford, has become established on the world circuit of big city marathons. And with the support of the Christchurch City Council, which is one of this year's major sponsors, and the backing of the business community, the marathon

seems set to ensure that Christchurch will have a growing share of the tourist marathon cake in years to come.

This year, the marathon can claim (o be fully international. There are more than 30 overseas entries — 20 from Australia. 8 from the United States and entries from Japan. Papua-New Guinea and Fiji. The original idea came from Don Cameron, who also founded the big City to Surf community run. the Symon and Lowther 100 km and the Women's Half marathon. He saw the need for an annual marathon at a cool time of the year. The founding of the City of Christchurch marathon ' all came about during informal chats between Cameron, Rutherford and myself during regular early morning training jaunts around Hagley Park.

That was about six years ago, and all agreed there should be a marathon when weather conditions were sure to be cool.

Rutherford was quick to see the need for such an event in Christchurch. He forthwith approached his friend. David Wells, for sponsorship and the Sedley Wells marathon — the forerunner of the Nike — was born.

More running friends were enthused to join the organising team under the banner of the Long Distance Runners Club of New Zealand.

Not only is this a nonprofit organisation dedicated to organising long distance running but several of the marathon executive committee have committed hundreds of dollars of personal funds in cash and services to get the marathon established.

In the meantime, the Nike City of Christchurch has officially become part of the international marathon circuit through its membership of A.1.M.5., the Association of International Marathons. About 70 member city marathons, including the

Nike City of Christchurch, were represented at a meeting of A.I.M.S. in London recently in the week before the London marathon. All data 'about the Christchurch City marathon are now kept in the A.I.M.S. headquarters, which are also the New York marathon offices, and from which firsthand information is available to marathon tourists and travel agents.

Rod Rutherford attended the inaugural meeting of A.I.M.S. when he ran in the Honolulu Marathon in 1981. His influence there helped bring more overseas runners to know about and to come to the Christchurch CityMarathon. Membership of A.I.M.S. is costing the Nike City of Christchurch organising committee $l3OO a year. The committee is confident that

this will, in the long term, be well worth while both in the interests of the city of Christchurch Marathon and business interests in the citygenera lly. In the meantime, about 500 officials are needed to ensure this year's marathon- is a success. Volunteers are. invited to telephone the former All Black. Bruce Hunter, who is co-ordinator of, officials, at 486-003.