26 WEDNESDAY 18 February 2015
SPORT
Part Time Courses
Courses starting in Nelson soon – call now!
Go Organic Explore the latest trends in sustainable farming through a science-based approach to a wide range of organic techniques and systems. Ideal for lifestyle block owners, home gardeners and/or commercial growers, this course will provide key knowledge and skills required for organic growing.
relying on artificial fertilisers and poisonous sprays. On successful completion you will be awarded a Certificate in Organic Horticulture (Level 3).
Day or night courses Cost: $300.00 INFORMATION SESSION:
Learn to build ecosystems, promote biodiversity and increase soil and plant health, instead of
5 March at 6pm
Riparian Revegetation This part-time course will provide the practical tools and knowledge that can be used to create clean waterways and conserve soil by establishing native plants along stream margins, as well as revegetating eroded hillsides. Students will gain skills and knowledge required to successfully plan, grow, plant and maintain native species along streams, rivers and lake margins,
or on marginal land. On successful completion students will be awarded a National Certificate in Horticulture Level 3.
Wednesdays 9.30am - 2.30pm Cost: $300.00 INFORMATION SESSION:
4 March at 9.30am
0800 475 455 www.agnz.co.nz
Helping grow the country
Supporting
Sport
www.shuttersport.co.nz
First marathon completed at 62 Nobody could accuse Aniseed Valley’s Marina Bennett of rushing into things after she completed her first marathon at the age of 62. Marina finished second in her F55-64 age group in Saturday’s Buller Marathon after running 42.2km along the Buller Gorge to Westport in 4 hours 20 minutes 23 seconds. It was an impressive marathon debut for the retired Waimea Intermediate School teacher who has been training for a marathon for almost a year and thinking about doing one for even longer. “I only started running when I got into my 50s and did the Buller Half Marathon five years ago,” Marina says. “I really enjoyed it but it didn’t feel like it was long enough so I thought I’d have a go at a marathon. “But I didn’t do anything about it until I retired a year ago and had more time to training seriously. I also told someone I was going to a marathon so after that I had to walk the talk.” Marina’s son George, who is a professional road cyclist based in Europe, also encouraged her to keep training so she could
Marina Bennett crosses the finish line in the Buller Marathon on Saturday. Photo: Tony Ferguson Photography. achieve her goal. “He kept saying to me ‘come on mum you can do it, keep training’ and that helped.” Although Marina says she was “extremely nervous” travelling on the bus to the start with the other competitors, she soon relaxed. “I was sitting on the bus surrounded by all these elite ath-
letes and I wondering what I’d got myself into. But then once we got out and were waiting around for the start everyone was really friendly and encouraging especially when they knew it was my first marathon - it was such a lovely atmosphere.” Marina says the race went according to plan, thanks to a lengthy build-up that included some 30 kilometre-plus training runs. “I got sore legs but just ran through that. I just kept putting one leg in front of the other. At the business end of the race, Nelson runner Phil Costley added another win and another record to his name when he finished in 2hr 28min 27sec to beat David Askin’s 1997 veteran’s marathon record by 49 seconds. Phil now holds the Buller half and full, open and veteran records. Richmond’s Ian Courtenay was fourth in 2hr 55min 28sec. Motueka’s Collette Read won the women’s marathon in 3hr 9min 37sec ahead of Appleby’s Carol Cooper who finished in 3hr 11min 10sec. Another Appleby runner, Paula Canning, finished second in the half marathon.
N A Y A M B S A T R E P P A N S
C I S S LA
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Saturday 7 March 2015
Biggest teams fishing event in NZ Register online: z n . o c . ic s s la c r e p nap www.tasmanbays SponSored by