Racing through the adventure capital of the world

You’re almost tempted to enjoy the scenery instead of concentrating on the race. That’s how it was at the recent New Balance Marathon in the beautiful New Zealand alpine resort city of Queenstown, known as the world’s adventure capital.

There were three races in the annual event, now in its third year. Close to 600 runners from over 12 countries signed up for the 42-kilometer marathon, the 21-kilometer half marathon and the 10-kilometer fun run that traversed a challenging route along the shoreline of Lake Wakatipu, surrounded by a spectacular mountain range called the Remarkables.

The Philippines was represented by long-distance runner Rio de la Cruz, a University of the Philippines varsity trackster who holds the UAAP record of 33:19 in the 10-kilometer distance. The 23-year-old physical-education senior joined the half marathon.

What immediately catches the tourist’s attention is the natural beauty of Queenstown’s topography.

The city has an elevation of 310 meters with a population of only 8,500. Often called the "jewel" in New Zealand’s crown, it hosts more than 1.2 million visitors a year. Queenstown, ranked No. 14 among the world’s best cities by Condé Nast Traveler, was named because "it was fit for Queen Victoria."

A boom in property prices and construction has resulted in hundreds of new luxury apartments and backpacker beds, plus downtown commercial premises and housing developments. In all, the city has a supply of 8,000 visitor beds.

The Remarkables are one of only two mountain ranges in the world that run from North to South, the other being the Rockies in Colorado. Another Queenstown wonder is the Southern Alps, a snow-skiing resort over 16,000 feet above sea level.

Lake Wakatipu, which is in the heart of the city, is New Zealand’s longest lake at 84 kilometers and the third largest at 291 square kilometers. It is 378 meters deep and rises and falls up to 12 centimeters every five minutes.

A popular tour is a one-hour steamship cruise on the TSS Earnslaw, built in 1912, along Lake Wakatipu to the Walter Peak high country farm where caretakers regale their audience with demonstrations of watchdogs herding loose sheep in the mountains, sheep shearing and sheep training. Visitors get the chance to feed and pet the friendly sheep which come in different sizes, shapes, colors and breeds. A lunch tour winds up in a barbecue buffet of beef, pork, chicken, fish and lamb at the farm homestead.

Lake Hayes is another incredible sight, its waters reflecting the overlooking mountains like a mirror. Several wineries and vineyards follow Lake Hayes’ shoreline to nearby Arrowtown where a gold strike broke out in 1862.

No trip to Queenstown is complete without taking a tour of Middle Earth, where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was mostly filmed. Author J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagination brought New Zealand movie director Peter Jackson to such sites as Glenorchy, the Wakatipu basin and Deer Park Heights where movie sequences of the ancient forests of Lothlorien, the road to Mordor and the camp of Ithilien were shot. A half-day or full-day "Safari of the Rings" is a top seller among silver-screen buffs who are guided to the Lord of the Rings film locations.

As for thrill-seekers, more than enough options are available to keep their adrenalin pumping. Among the attractions are river surfing, high-speed jet-boating with 360-degree spins along the rapids, heli-skiing the Harris Mountains, aero-towing, bungee jumping, experiencing New Zealand’s challenging ski slopes, tandem paragliding, kayaking, flight-seeing, luge riding, mountain biking, skydiving, whitewater sledging, mountain climbing, rafting and anti-gravity hand-gliding.

For less daring visitors, the attractions include cruising along the peaceful shores of Lake Wakatipu, discovering the fabulous local wineries, kiwi-watching, checking out museums (recommended is the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum with an amazing collection of air-worthy planes over 50 years old), marveling at panoramic views on a gondola ride, dining at interesting restaurants and shopping for discounted outdoor sports equipment in downtown stores.

"Queenstown would have to be one of the most spectacular places in New Zealand and the world," said New Balance Asia-Pacific regional manager Darren Tucker, who is based in Melbourne. "It is blessed with breathtaking scenery which is spectacular all year round. Queenstown has a very cosmopolitan lifestyle with many nationalities residing and working there. The Queenstown area is world-renowned for being the capital of adventure and action."

The Philippines wasn’t the only Asian country invited to participate in the New Balance event.

New Balance Asia-Pacific regional marketing manager Qing Ni of Hong Kong assembled an Asian contingent made up of De la Cruz, Ernst & Young associate director Bernard Poon and Dr. Ernest Kwong of Hong Kong, Sport 100 Sporting Goods Mega-Stores owner Alan Cheung of Shanghai, Vicky Huang and Professor Chu of Taiwan, Lee Jin Soon and Lee Hyun Hee of South Korea and Indonesian national track-team mainstays Johan Juhari and Agus Prayogo.

De la Cruz earned the Queenstown ticket by clocking 33:42 to take second place in the 10-kilometer open category of the Power Race organized by Planet Sports last November. He was the best finisher wearing New Balance shoes.

Planet Sports, the country’s No. 1 sports retailer with over 50 outlets, is the exclusive distributor of New Balance footwear, apparel and accessories in the Philippines. It is a joint venture between Bellestar Corp. Ltd. of Singapore and a Filipino group led by company president Anton Gonzalez.

In a statement, Gonzalez said the Queenstown Marathon is proof of New Balance’s commitment to grassroots development, performance and customer satisfaction. He referred to New Balance as the "faster" shoes where function is preferred to fashion.

What distinguishes New Balance from other sports apparel, footwear and accessories brands is its commitment to the consumer, noted Gonzalez. It invests more in research and technology than in celebrity endorsers to provide the best products for users. New Balance pioneered in manufacturing shoes to fit various foot widths.

The three Queenstown events were held almost simultaneously. Marathon and 10-kilometer runners converged at the downtown Earnslaw Park for the 7 a.m. flag-off. The half-marathoners got going at 8:30 a.m. in Arrowtown, the midpoint of the full marathon.

De la Cruz was in the lead pack from the starting line but couldn’t overtake the pacesetters as he struggled against a strong headwind, the chilly weather and a tough course that included a six-kilometer trail of sand, gravel and dirt.

The 5’7", 126-pound native of Bato, Camarines Sur, barely squeezed into the top six with a time of 1:15.17, five minutes over his target. He was way behind Juhari who bagged the $1,000 first prize by clocking 1:09.16. Prizes were awarded only to the top six finishers.

New Zealand farmer Chris Dagg wound up a close second at 1:09.29. The other Indonesian, Prayogo, took third at 1:11.37. Fourth was New Zealander Nathan Aldridge at 1:12.38 and another hometowner Eddie Smith, a triathlon coach, was fifth at 1:14.04.

Athens Olympian Dale Warrender topped the marathon with a clocking of 2:23 to win the $3,000 first prize. He was so dominant that the second placer finished seven minutes behind.

Warrender, 31, qualified for Athens by timing 2:12.57 in the Fukuoka Marathon and was 33rd in the Olympics. A mobile technology consultant, he began running at 11 and was one of three New Zealand qualifiers in Athens.

After finishing the marathon, Warrender was welcomed by his wife Janelle and their 20-month-old daughter, Ella.

Asked about his diet, the 150-pound Warrender said he watches what he eats but admits to a fondness for sweets, particularly "lollies." He added that there are no restrictions on his intake and lists red meat, chicken, tuna, vegetables and pasta among his favorites.

The event’s scene stealer was Singapore’s William Tan, a paraplegic who lost control of his entire lower body because of polio when he was two. He clocked 3:30 in the full marathon and was far from last place–some finishers stumbled in after five hours.

Tan, 48, said he has a final race to run in Boston to book a Guinness record for competing in seven marathons in seven continents in 70 days. Queenstown was his sixth stop after St. George Island in Antarctica, Argentina in South America, Bangkok in Asia, Capetown in Africa and Amsterdam in Europe.

A brain scientist, Tan said he has participated in about 40 marathons in the last 24 years. He studied at the National University of Singapore then earned a Master’s degree in Public Health at Harvard and took up social health policy at Oxford. Tan was a scholar at Harvard and Oxford. He logged five years of medical training in Australia and is preparing to specialize in oncology.

Tan, who regularly works out in the gym and weighs about 125 pounds, competed at the Paragames in relation to the 1988 Seoul Olympics and qualified for Barcelona but begged off due to his medical studies.

According to event organizer Victory Promotions head Jason Cameron, the biggest New Zealand race is the 41-year-old Rotorua Marathon that attracts over 3,000 runners every May. But the New Balance Queenstown Marathon, with its three events, is undoubtedly a much-awaited happening for runners because of its scenic route. Besides, it offers the largest marathon prize pool in the country–$30,000.

As the word spreads about Queenstown, New Balance officials should be forewarned. They’ll be swamped with marathon participants in the years to come.