At its peak, a few years ago, nearly 70,000 took part in the 'Round The Bays'; running, walking, pushing and rolling the 8.4km from the city centre to St Heliers and put the race in the top ten of world popular running events.
Oddly, it's not really an event for runners. Not for those who slavishly pound the pavements week in and week out anyway. Unless you are right at the front of the mass of people at the start, you are going to find the first few kilometres a bit of a slog. Or if not that an extreme test of your ability weaving as pushchairs, scooters, fancy dressed participants and arm-linked walkers are negotiated.
Having done exactly that last year, this year we decided to volunteer and help the race organisers in whatever way we could. It may seem like a very charitable thing to do but there was an ulterior motive. Kind of. You see our running club, The Auckland Joggers, set up the first RTB in 1972 when a few hundred negotiated the traffic on Tamaki Drive. Despite being handed to professionals to organise as the numbers got out of hand, it is our race. And with this honour also comes a large hunk of cash from the organisers in exchange for providing bodies to help with anything from manning information desks, giving out race bibs, marshalling crowds, blowing up start-line inflatables to protecting lost children.
It is also because, while training in New Zealand in 1980, the former long-distance runner Brendan Foster took part in RTB and was so inspired that he set up the Great North Run. So for a northeastern lad, who has joined the founding Auckland running club, it was inevitable that when asked for volunteers a few months ago that my hand would shoot up.
I must say that when the alarm clock went off at 05:10 this morning I did, for a fleeting moment, regret the enthusiastic manner in which I put my name forward. But promises are promises and so after a quick shower and strong coffee we stepped out into the cool Auckland morning.
I suppose wrestling with a stubborn giant inflatable start-line is one way to wake up in a morning. Not one I would recommend - try coffee or a nice cup of tea. This thing had a mind of its own, and once we had conquered this one, there was a second to inflate. At 60kg it wasn't light and just as we'd managed to get it into place, a truck wanted to get past to deliver some important event paraphernalia. After questioning the driver's parentage, under our breaths of course, we persuaded the giant inflatable to move to the side whilst the truck went on its way.
Thankfully a electric powered pump was on hand to provide the much needed air. I had images of trying to inflate the thing - it definitely would've delayed the start of the race. To maybe next Tuesday!
The second one was laid out and just as it was semi inflated, a large black SUV with blackened windows approached. The driver's window rolled down, a few words were exchanged and the SUV and its occupants reversed back down the road.
Now I'm not one prone to exaggeration, but I like to think that we stopped none other than the Queen of Pop Madonna in her tracks. Well it could've been her Madgesty. She was playing the arena next door and the time was about right. Possibly. Anyway, why let the truth get in the way of a good story.
So with Madgesty on her way back and the inflatables puffed up, we headed back and waited for the start of the race.
If anyone wants to know how do 30,000 participants travel across the start line and 8.4km down the coast, the answer is simple. Slowly!
We agreed that we would wait until everyone had passed the start before beginning our run to the end. We hadn't, after all, paid to enter so it felt right. But we had to get to the other end because we were needed to help out. And besides, there was food and drink laid on.
So for the second year running I didn't run to the end - I weaved, bobbed and darted between gaps. It's hard work on a hot day.
The difference this year was that I felt an inner glow - it was either the thought of having helped in one of New Zealand's iconic events or the copious amount of grilled meat I had just ingested. I'll be back down Tamaki Drive soon - it's one of the popular and scenic runs in Auckland - but it will be without the 29,998 other people. A straightforward straight run with no bobbing or weaving. Now wouldn't that be nice!
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