Marathon runner Anne Fredricsen is seeking help to raise funds for her $1000 target.
MARATHON runner Anne Fredricsen’s five marathons in three weeks is still slightly short of her fundraising goal of $1000 for the Westpac Trust helicopter rescue service. But the page is still open for donations toward her gruelling effort. “Unfortunately, I had to change it to five in seven weeks, although four were completed in three weeks, with two of them in one weekend,” Anne said. Her marathon plan evolved after talking to a fellow runner following the Taupō Marathon on August 6, who told her that with several marathons coming up in September, there was an opportunity to run five full marathons in three weeks. Two of them were deferred from 2020 and one from May 2022; Anne was already entered for three of the five. “I had the idea, if other marathon family from around New Zealand were taking these on, why not set my personal challenge of five in three weeks. “But I would use this not just for my own purposes, but to benefit the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter by raising some money in the process, hoping others might believe it was a reasonable effort on my part and well worth donating to such a fantastic life-saving cause,” she said. The plan had to be changed when Anne’s back locked up on September 10, the day of the Kinloch event. “It was too painful to roll over, let alone get out of bed,” she said. It meant changing the fundraiser to five marathons in seven weeks, even though four were completed in three weeks with two of them in one weekend. This meant having to “claw back” Taupō Marathon from August 6 to be included in the five and extending the time because of the gap between the Kinloch event and the North Shore Marathon on September 3. The North Shore Marathon, deferred from 2020, was a gruelling two-lap course, with 12 times on beaches and twice spiralling North Head at Devonport, Anne said. “Great views, but very steep. In the last kilometre, the tide had come in and I had to climb sharp rocks to walk a sea wall before descending again.” Then followed the Trail Trilogy Marathon on September 11, which started in Te Aroha and finished in Waihi, passing through Paeroa about halfway. “This one I dedicated to the 343 firefighters of 9/11 and for all firefighters, especially my many friends who are volunteers,” Anne said. “These days, I dedicate every marathon to an individual, whether well, sick or passed on. “Despite my fundraiser challenge this year, I still made a personal dedication prior to each race, therefore it’s not purely ‘ego’ based.” The five full marathons became eight marathons for 2022. After the Rotorua and Tauranga marathons on September 17 and 18, Anne picked up the Auckland Marathon in October, the Queenstown marathon in November and the Three Bridges Marathon in Whanganui earlier this month. Anne started her marathon career in 1989 with the Rotorua Marathon. She’s now completed 29 Rotorua Marathons and is a member of the Rotorua Marathon survivors’ club. Similarly, Anne has earned a permanent race number at the New Plymouth Mountain to Surf Marathon, (24 times) and the Auckland Marathon, where she is a ‘Roadster’ having completed more than five. In total, Anne has run more than 150 full marathons. “I don’t put my shoes on these days for anything less than the 42km distance. I used to do half marathons years ago as training runs, but I no longer count these,” she said. “Entry fees are so high now; I reserve my events to the full marathon distance only.” If someone wants to run just one full marathon, Anne recommends the Queenstown event. “In the 33-and-a-half years I have been competing in marathons both in New Zealand and internationally, I have never been on such a beautiful marathon course as the Queenstown Marathon. Every kilometre there was stunning scenery.” The back-to-back Rotorua/Tauranga events were a challenge. The Rotorua Marathon usually held in May, was deferred to September. “Normally my marathon recovery involves a sleep in – not rising at 4am,” Anne said. “Travelling from Rotorua to Tauranga and racing to find parking, registration and then over a 2km run to the start line of a course that was altered only a few days prior.” Anne thought she ran poorly, but when she compared the official results there was only a 22-second difference from the gun times. “I hurt my back five times over a six-month period, the first of which was major affecting my back, knee, hip, leg and neck when working at Waikato Hospital in recent years,” Anne said. “Currently I am only able to run/walk my marathons as opposed to running, as my back locks up during the events. I don’t even wear a stopwatch. It’s simply about enduring and getting to the finish. “Marathons for me are no longer about the physical sport but the mental health benefits each finish line brings. Anyone can do 21kms, but not everyone can, or will, do 42kms. It’s very much mind over body.” Anne dedicated her Tauranga marathon in thanksgiving for the life of Karam Haddad of Ōtorohanga, who had died a few days before. Having returned to Maniati/Benneydale, Anne no longer runs for a club, but is a member of the NZ 100 marathon club. “If anyone is inspired to complete a full marathon, I would be happy to help with the training preparation,” she said. If you think eight marathons in less than four months is a reasonable effort and would still like to acknowledge these, Anne said donations can be paid direct to her personal fundraising page on the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter or alternatively handed in to Appliance Plus stores in Te Kūiti or Otorohanga on her behalf. “I hurt my back five times over a six-month period, the first of which was major affecting my back, knee, hip, leg and neck when working at Waikato Hospital in recent years,” Anne said. “Currently I am only able to run/walk my marathons as opposed to running, as my back locks up during the events. I don’t even wear a stopwatch “It’s simply about enduring and getting to the finish. “Marathons for me are no longer about the physical sport but the mental health benefits each finish line brings. Anyone can do 21kms, but not everyone can, or will, do 42kms. It’s very much mind over body.” Anne dedicated her Tauranga marathon in thanksgiving for the life of Karam Haddad of Ōtorohanga, who had died a few days before. Having returned to Maniaiti/Benneydale, Anne no longer runs for a club, but is a member of the NZ 100 marathon club. “If anyone is inspired to complete a full marathon, I would be happy to help with the training preparation,” she said. If you think eight marathons in less than four months is a reasonable effort and would still like to acknowledge these, Anne said donations can be paid direct to her personal fundraising page on the Waikato Westpac Rescue Helicopter or alternatively handed in to Appliance Plus stores in Te Kūiti or Ōtorohanga on her behalf.
