Marathon hailed a success

By Faynihanthia Fereti 15 July 2024, 10:00PM

Khalida Cox of the United Kingdom and Nick Flannery of Ireland were winners at the thrilling 7th Sāmoa International Marathon in Savai'i last Saturday.

This is one of 'Sāmoa Events' marquee events that also includes the Apolima Strait Swim, Tour of Sāmoa, and the Sāmoa Swim Series.

Flannery set a new men's race record with an impressive time of 3h 14m 25s, while Cox achieved her goal by finishing under five hours with a time of 4h 51m 46s.

Russina swimmer Ivan Polyntcev has new fans with the Itū o Tane College runners. As well as swimming to Savai’i on Monday, Ivan ran the 10 km distance and finished first in 1h 08 mins.

Ivan Polyntcev the swimmer has a new lot of fans with the Itū o Tane College runners. (Photo: supplied )

According to a statement from Samoa Events, the race kicked off at 4:20 am from Sāpapāli'i, in front of Le Rosalote Accommodations. Flannery finished in Manase at 7:34 am, overtaking all the runners who started at 2 am. 

Despite initially doubting his ability to achieve a sub-3h15m marathon, Flannery ran like a young gazelle throughout the race.

Reflecting on his experience, Flannery praised Sāmoa, saying, "The people are friendly, and the landscape is incredible. Sāmoa is number one definitely (race). It’s a bit hot, but the post-race experience is amazing. I’d recommend it to anyone."

Cox, completing her eighth marathon, was overjoyed. "I'm a bit emotional and I’m chuffed to bits. I'm very happy with my time. It’s my hottest marathon yet, and the heat hit me hard at 15 miles, but luckily it was a cloudy morning," she said.

She also expressed gratitude for her support driver, "The support was amazing. My driver and I got into a great routine. Appreciate it.”

Every marathon runner had a support vehicle from start to finish, ensuring safety and a well-supported race.

The race has been held on Savai'i since 2016, with a hiatus of three years during the pandemic. Notable in the field is Ingrid Frost of Aotearoa New Zealand, who has run over 300 marathon races around the world. Her friend Monica Tate from Māngere, South Auckland, is the eldest runner at 75 years.

The furthest runners traveling to Sāmoa for the race come from Ireland and the United Kingdom. Japan and the United States are also fielding runners in the full marathon and half marathon. The oldest runner in the race is Rheinard Nass of Germany, aged 79 years. He is traveling a long way to race in Sāmoa to run in the 10 km distance, adding to his extensive list of races around the world.


By Faynihanthia Fereti 15 July 2024, 10:00PM
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