A Millennium Marathon Adventure

Once, every 1000 years or so, something comes along that you just can't miss. David Morgan and Mary Wenck of Corning -- two new FLRC members -- seized the opportunity to participate in the grand adventure of running the world's first marathon of the new century -- the Millennium Marathon, held Jan. 1 at sunrise, in Hamilton, New Zealand. That was the reason to do it," said Morgan, a retired glass chemist at Corning Inc. "It was a great idea to run the first marathon of the new millennium. Many people were afraid to travel (during New Year's), but Y2K turned out to be a non-event."

Fear is not in Morgan's or Wenck's vocabulary. Both are experienced runners and seasoned travelers. In fact, the 67-year-old Morgan ran the Antarctica Marathon in 1999, and is currently working on completing a 26.2-miler on all seven continents. New Zealand/Australia are counted as one continent; Morgan has three to go: South America, Africa and Asia.

Wenck ran the Berlin Marathon with Morgan in 1998, and also will begin a quest for the "7 Continents Club." Both ran the Boston Marathon in April.

"I spend so much time with this guy (Morgan) who is into adventure," said Wenck, employed by the Steuben Educators Federal Credit Union. "David picked it out, and said, 'I'm going, what do you think?' I said, 'I'm in!'

"Everyone wanted to do something special New Year's Eve, and the only other opportunity was the Midnight Run in (New York City's) Central Park," she added. "But going to New Zealand far surpassed that, and we could only hit a marathon that occurred every 1000 years once. It was a long ways from home, but well worth the sacrifice to go. It was a trip of a lifetime!"

The adventure trek to New Zealand, a country that receives the first light of each day on the planet, was conceived and organized by Thom Gilligan, president of Boston-based Marathon Tours & Travel. The 23-year-old company is an official travel agency for people interested in running marathons all over the U.S., and on all seven continents.

"New Zealand was a wonderful place to be to see the first sunrise of the new century, and the country also has a terrific history of long-distance running," said Gilligan, who planned the trip over three years in advance. "We had no dry run. We took a group of 680 North Americans, and had no chance to work the kinks out. So many things can go wrong, but it came out extremely well. It was like picking fruit from a tree -- the time was ripe."

The Millennium Marathon was just one small happening in a very busy adventure travel package, which spanned from Dec. 27 to Jan. 16, in the "Downunder" summertime. Marathon Tours offered several options, and Morgan and Wenck selected the most comprehensive journey. Their itinerary included such destinations as Auckland, the gateway to New Zealand; Queenstown, the "adventure capital of the world;" the hiking paradise of Milford Sound; Sydney, host of the 2000 Olympics; scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef; and the gorgeous islands of Fiji.

"I was really impressed by the country of New Zealand," said Morgan, who estimated the trip cost between $5,000-6,000 per person, not including airfare. "It has a small population, but they do many nice things and it has beautiful natural scenery. While we were in Auckland, the Americas Cup was going on in the "City of Sails." One in five owns a boat; it's a very water-oriented and outdoor-oriented country, with many outdoor adventures and hiking attractions."

The 42.195-kilometer, two-lap marathon, which fielded about 2,500 runners (much smaller than expected), was run in misty rain, overcast skies and perfect 55-degree temperatures. The race started at 6 a.m. in Hamilton, on the east side of the Waikato River, and ended in front of the main grandstand on the Te Rapa Racecourse -- a horse track. All finishers received a special millennium T-shirt and a medal.

"The course was sparsely attended by (spectators) in bathrobes walking their dogs," said Wenck, who posted a finishing time of 3 hours, 57 minutes, 13 seconds. "The water stops were staffed by local residents in costumes. They told us at the start to drink right from the river -- you take it yourself or they'll give it to you! No matter how deep or shallow, the water is breathtakingly clear."

"Everyone was in the spirit," added Morgan, who finished in a hamstring-hampered 4:09. "When we finished, we sat in the bleachers and watched others finish in 5 to 6 hours. There was tons of food, music and every now and then, they'd announce that another country was celebrating New Year's."

The next stop on the Millennium tour was the Milford Track, often described as the "finest walk in the world." A favorite of Wenck and Morgan, the guided five-day, 33.5-mile hike took groups of 50 through the Fiordland National Park on the rugged trails of New Zealand's' remote backcountry.

The marathoners first took a flight to the mountain town of Queenstown, then a cruise to the head of Lake Te Anau, the beginning of the trek. Walkers, who covered about nine to 13 miles a day while carrying light packs, were treated to a fully-supported journey, complete with lodging, meals, "sag wagons" and afternoon tea. Once they reached the end of the track at Sandfly Point, they caught another boat to Milford Sound.

"It's pristine! We had to take out whatever we took in," said Wenck, who along with Morgan, suffered with a bout of bronchitis early on the hike. "We knew we wanted to do this, so we marshaled our strength and did 10 miles in 8 hours the first day. Then the next two days, we pushed more. It was more rigorous, but we kept walking.

"The trails were 5-feet wide, and beautifully laid out," she said. "We started on the mountain floor, climbed up a 3,000-foot mountain pass on switchbacks to the mountain peak, then back down."

After a cruise on Milford Sound to view dolphins, penguins and fur seals, Morgan and Wenck flew to Sydney, for some leisurely sightseeing. Then it was off to the Manly Beaches, famous for world-class surfing; a day of scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef; a visit to a Fiji village; then homeward bound.

"Runners are great travelers!" observed Gilligan. "Most are upbeat, low-stress types, who are fit and can carry their own luggage. A rainy day doesn't ruin a trip. Runners say, 'Let's roll with the punches; it's not the destination, it's the journey."

For Morgan and Wenck, the adventure was about much more than marathoning. It was about forging new friendships; exploring unknown territory and having fun.

"You should find a reason to look around the planet," said Morgan. "Travel is easy and not always this expensive. You have to be ready for changes; things happen -- traveling doesn't always click. But it's a lot of fun to do these things, and Marathon Tours makes it all accessible."

Curiosity and the willingness to meet a challenge are more important than athletic ability on these tours. "I love adventure. I'm independent, I don't give up and I have no fear," Wenck said. "It's important to do something you'll stick with, and keep doing. You don't have to run a marathon -- you can walk or cycle. Just choose an activity that feels comfortable and stay with it."

Gilligan believes that adventure travel helps break through the "touristic veneer" because the travelers take an active role in their destination's culture.

"We all grew up with the "sun and fun" mentality about trips," said Gill, but there's more to life than just sitting in the sun. The marathon is the hype and focus of a journey, but the memories are of learning about the culture, meeting people and noticing the pristine points on the planet you visit. It becomes an educational trip with a marathon on the side."

Information: Write Marathon Tours & Travel, 108 Main St., Boston, Mass. 02129; call 800/444-4097; e-mail: marathon@shore.net; or visit the Web site: www.marathontour.com.

-- Diane Sherrer