Porter Novelli Panthers devour Round the Bays 2011
Yesterday, with a 5-women and 1-man strong contingent (along with the dynamic-duo that are the Wallis twins), Porter Novelli put their best foot forward to run the 39th annual Round the Bays 2011.
Ports of Auckland Round the Bays has been an annual event in Auckland since 1972, when the Auckland Joggers Club initiated it. The first run attracted 1,200 participants and has now grown to be one of the world's largest fun-runs with nearly 40,000 registered runners and an estimated 70,000 participants.
Auckland Mayor Len Brown fired the starter gun at 9.30am. With thousands of entrants milling around the Quay St. start line, the initial going was slow with much ducking and dodging for the runners. Babies in buggies, human drawn carriages-complete with BBQ and beverage supplies, the New Zealand Army, along with a strong presence from the disability community, all joined the walkers and runners for the 8.4km stint that follows the contours of Auckland's Waitemata harbour and finishing on the waterfront of St Heliers Bay.
With the sun blazing strongly for a mid-March morning, it wasn't long before a few beads of sweat were visible on the brows of the runners and walkers alike. Thankfully both WaterCare Services Limited and Pump provided hydration along the way for those involved. Other sponsors included one of our clients, Fairfax Media, Ports of Auckland, Mediaworks and Mobica.
Porter Novelli put on a strong show with Kate Allison, Sarah Rutherford and Joanna Glover all clocking in under the 50 minute mark. You can check out your own personal time by clicking here.
First to cross the finish line in 26 minutes and 19 seconds was Scott Winton (37), a marathon runner who belongs to the Pakuranga Athletics Club.
Following the race, a cold drink and BBQ was in order, with Jane Sweeney and Andrew Craig cooking up a storm at the Porter Novelli picnic plot in Glover Park.
The financial recipients for the 2011 Round the Bays included: Kidney Kids – helping build two children's dialysis units for the new dedicated Paediatric Haemo-Dialysis Unit at Starship; Koru Care – providing funding for two children to visit Disneyland; Waitemata Harbour Clean-Up Trust – supporting the removal of litter from Auckland's Waitemata Harbour and inner gulf islands; and Fairfax First Books – helping to improve the reading levels of under five year olds in disadvantaged communities and promote reading within their families.
Visit our Facebook page to see all the photos from the day.