When Iris Hansen crossed the Waipā Fun Run finish line on Sunday, she was quick to turn to Bart Muylle for confirmation of her time.
The oldest competitor at 83 was believed to be Iris Hansen of Cambridge who finished the Waipā Fun Run 5km run and walk in 51:46. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
“51 minutes 46.7 seconds,” the timekeeper told her for the 5km run.
While that put her well back in the placings – Melissa O’Brien of Ōtorohanga, the best female, did it in 19:28 – it was yet another achievement to notch up for the Cambridge veteran.
“I beat a lot of the younger ones so I’m happy,” the 83-year-old told The News.
She was one of 587 who registered for the event, down on last year’s record 691 competitors. Organiser Donna Warwick said two other events taking place on the same day had an impact.
Rotary had 500 competitors for Run the Runway at Hamilton Airport while the North Island secondary school rowing champs were at Lake Karāpiro.
See: Primary Numbers
To the winner, the spoils, congratulations for Waipā Fun Run winner Lane Madsen of Hora Hora from wife Jemimah and son James, 17 months. The family have another boy due in a fortnight. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Hora Hora farmer Lane Madsen won the Waipā Fun Run 10km race for the second year running and swore he would be back next year to get the trifecta. He finished in 33 minutes 11 seconds, comfortably beating Waikato long distance junkie Simon Cochrane whose claim to fame is his victory in the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii two years ago.
Iris has had a lifetime of athletic achievements including finishing in the Boston Marathon’s 100th event in 1996 in a time of five hours 16 minutes.
But it was as Iris Bruce she made her name winning athletics’ titles galore while a schoolgirl at Cambridge Primary and then High School.
“I won all the senior girls’ trophies,” she said proudly.
Iris could run, throw, jump and leap better than anyone else in the town in the late 1940s and 1950s.
The Rainbow Fossils finish the teams’ event perspiring profusely under the uniforms, from left, Cindy Morrow, Cathy Philips, Roxy Philips and Liezel Tregoweth.
Cambridge Steel Fabricators and Engineers went with the Despicable Me Gru Crew theme and bananas aplenty, from left Ferg, Morne and John-Luke, eight months (in pram) Van Der Westhuyzen, Julianne Bourgeois-Racette, Martin Albisetti, Shayle Bertram and Leo Senekal. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
She took to running marathons when she was living in Tauranga and was well into her 50s.
She completed three – Rotorua, Auckland and Boston but had to give up until a hip replacement 19 years ago. The surgeon put in a round disc which meant she could go back running but throwing was disallowed.
Three years ago, Iris lost husband Rex to a heart attack after 58 years of marriage and the following year her son Norm died.
“I’ve been crying for days and days and days and years now. I miss them.”
Both men were cremated but Iris bought a plot in Leamington Cemetery “before the prices went up” and when she goes, they will join her in there.
The Waipā Fun Run 5km competitors head off.
The Madsen family had a field day – Lane winning the 10kms while brothers Joshua and Vaughn were first and second in the 5km run.
“I got off to a good start and I think I was by myself by the 1km mark onwards,” said Lane.
“I was a bit worried about Simon behind me but managed to hold him off.”
So, he should have been, the Matangi-based company director is a former world champion ultraman champion and ironman competitor whose time of 20 hours and 57 minutes over 515km in Hawaii two years ago bettered the record of running, ocean swimming and cycling by 44 minutes.
Waipā Fun Run 10km women’s winner Michelle Waylen of Tauwhare gives the thumbs up after finishing.
“The whole course is awesome,” said Lane who described this year’s hot conditions the polar opposite to last year when it rained.
Orchard Valley Glamping of Ōtorohanga won the teams’ event while Cambridge Middle, Cambridge East and St Peter’s Catholic won the schools’ challenge in their year groups.
St Peter’s Catholic School in Cambridge started Waipā Fun Run 13 years ago as a school fundraiser and only missed once since, during Covid. This year $1 from each entry in the school challenge went to Cambridge Lifeskills, a not for profit agency which offers free counselling for children between the ages of 5 to 15. The rest will go towards outdoor shade sails for the junior school.
Dentist Bart Eisenbarth was hoping his dental services weren’t needed as he set off on his bicycle to lead the Waipā Fun Run 10km race. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Waipā Fun Run results (Cambridge unless stated):
More – Re 10km Run & Walk: Lane Madsen 33:11, Simon Cochrane (Matangi) 33:38, Jake Wilkinson 34:56, Jazza Gray (Hamilton) 35:06, Ryan Sissons 35:50.
Cambridge Vets 5km Run & Walk: Joshua Madsen 17:48, Vaughn Madsen 17:51, Colin Johnston 18:00, Rui Farrant, 18:26, Rico Dorssers (Ōhaupō) 19:12.
Doyle Accountants 2km School Challenge Year 7-8: Team: Cambridge Middle, St Joseph’s Morrinsville, Kaipaki, St Peter’s Catholic.
Individual: Joshua Barclay (St Peter’s School) 6:47, Jack Jordon (Marian, Hamilton), Louis Barnard (Cambridge Middle) 7:25, Oliver Miers (Cambridge Middle) 7:33, Jack Lockwood (Cambridge Middle) 7:34
Year 5-6: Team: Cambridge East, Goodwood, Leamington, Cambridge Primary, St Peter’s Catholic.
Individual: Deagon Everton (Southwell, Hamilton) 7:24, Katie Trollope (Goodwood) 7:27, Charli Greenhalgh (Leamington) 7:38 Flynn Jones (Hautapu) 7:39, George Campbell (Southwell, Hamilton) 7:50.
Year 3-4: Team: St Peter’s Catholic, Cambridge East, Cambridge Primary, Leamington, St Joseph’s Morrinsville, Goodwood.
Individual: Thomas Churstain (Tamahere) 7:57, Kaden Smith (Southwell, Hamilton) 8:17, Felix Faria (St Peter’s Catholic) 8:18, Austin Miers (St Peter’s Catholic) 8:21, Harry Cogan (Cambridge East) 8:22.
Team Challenge: Orchard Valley Glamping Ōtorohanga, Leamington School, Doyle Accountants, Steel Fab, Inghams, ExpertEase, Kaz, The Powderpuff Girls, The Gru Crew, The Rainbow Fossils.
Lane Madsen of Hora Hora wins the Waipā Fun Run 10km race for the second year running in a time of 33.11. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
World Ultraman champion Simon Cochrane was second in the Waipā Fun Run 10km race.
Phil Mackay of Cambridge finishes the Waipā Fun Run 10km event in 44.13 with Garth Forsythe of Roto-o-Rangi just behind him.
Marian Catholic School’s Jasmine Rasmussen Shawyer of Hamilton ran in the 10km open female race and finished a credible fourth in 42:23.
Finishing the Waipā Fun Run 10km event, from left Tom Woutersen (Tamahere), Evan and Bronwen Rees-Jones (Cambridge).
Stu Meads of Hamilton (424) powers towards the High Level Bridge with Jay Palas (429) and Martha Williams (465) of Cambridge alongside him.
Cambridge runner Amber Johnston, left was seventh in the Waipā Fun Run 10km open female event while Liam Botha was 36th in the men’s race.
The team from BFT Te Awamutu gym looked primed for a good teams’ results, from left Awhina Pihama, Melinda Loader, Nicola Kendrick, Charlie Loader and Christian Crossman. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Ryan McGowan of Ōhaupō finishes 19th in the Waipā Fun Run 20km run in a time of 41:25.
