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Red Beach marathon runner Troy Harold, 50, says he has been a runner ever since his school days.
However, it was only once he challenged himself to complete a run every day – regardless of the weather, or how he was feeling – that he stopped getting injured and began to get strong competitive results.
“It’s about getting enough miles in the legs,” he says.
Three years ago, he went from running two or three days a week to pounding the pavements every single day.
It was a personal challenge, but Troy says it has also made a huge difference that paid off last month with his best ever result in the tough Rotorua Marathon.
Troy won the Rotorua Marathon Masters 50 plus division in 2hrs 42min 33sec. His average pace was 3min 49sec per kilometre for the 42.2km distance.
Troy is a regular participant in the Millwater Park Run and says the local running scene, including the Park Run and a regular Thursday run group called ‘Coach’s Run’, based at Ōrewa Surf Club, inspired him to achieve this latest result. The ‘coach’ concerned is former NZ rep runner Dave Harrison, who is a key part of the Ōrewa group.
“When you run regularly, you soon meet all the others around here who do the same,” Troy says.
He also does a lot of off-road adventure racing and is always challenging his personal best.
Currently he is considering doing the Auckland Marathon for the first time.
