Michael Wood

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I must start this article by stating that I have something of an aversion to driving anywhere and not knowing where I am going.  Any journey involving an unknown piece of road always involves me poring over a map beforehand to make sure I know EXACTLY where I should be. 

Thus it is always with a slight sense of trepidation that I embark on MGCC trials, fun runs, navigation runs etc, for it involves placing a sense of trust in a) the person who set the instructions, and b) yourself to interpret them.  The result of this of course is that Cindy, my navigator for the weekend, was a complete nervous wreck weeks before the event due to my ominous threats as to what might happen if we got lost……

Now…to be positive!  The Classic Marathon has become a well established MG event, having first been run in 1992.  This years organising team are experienced triallists and MG people and the previous events have always been fantastically organised and great fun.  So with this in mind, the TF’s bonnet was pointed south toward Hamilton on a fine Friday evening in preparation for the start the next morning.  On arrival there were a number of MG people about, all of whom decided to avoid an early start the next day by taking a leisurely evening in Hamilton.  A superb dinner at the Kingsgate followed.

Saturday morning dawned in an unsettled way, and the carpark was full of convertible drivers staring anxiously skyward for some indication whether the roof should be up or down.  A very thorough driver briefing followed whilst the lead car made its way onto the route, followed by its equally rapid return minutes later to advise us what to do at the new roundabout that Hamilton City Council constructed the week prior!

The format of the Saturday involved morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea stops with a couple of hours driving between each.  Those of you not on the run are of course wondering where we went, the honest answer to which is I really haven’t a clue, other than that we had some utterly fantastic roads!  The Marathon team have become well experienced at finding the very best MG roads well away from the main highways, and this year was no exception.  Lunch was taken at the Piopio Fire Station where a superb spread was laid on thanks to the local school sports group.  The last stages of Saturday saw some very pleasant running around the Kinloch area, with a finish at the Lakeland Hotel in Taupo.  With check in sorted, drinks followed on a balmy Taupo evening overlooking the lake, with a very pleasant dinner at the Lakeland.  The stories of the days driving were of course already starting to be exaggerated!     The   best   kept  secret   of  the weekend was outed at dinner, being that “Mr Marathon”, organiser Tony Simmons, was celebrating a “significant” birthday (I’m too polite to say what it is but suffice to say he’s over 21….)

The Sunday weather proved a little less co-operative, however the driving was just superb with some utterly magnificent roads.  With a nod of approval from the left seat I was allowed to open up the TF on one very long straight stretch but beyond that the Sunday rain meant caution was the order of the day.  Some of the small towns we passed through didn’t seem to have changed for decades, illustrating a New Zealand that most of us Aucklanders have forgotten existed.  By lunchtime, the rain was well and truly set in.  Even the usually hardy team of triallists doing the next stage were under shelter.

The event finished at the Matamata Water Tower Museum, a beautifully kept Museum complex based around the Water Tower.  Sadly the rain kept us from enjoying the grounds, but a hot coffee was most welcome.  The prizegiving followed, with numerous lucky people taking away subscriptions to Classic Driver magazine, Womans Weekly (I have no idea why…..) and the coveted first place going to Bryce and Brett Gliddon from Taupo in their superb MGA Coupe.  As for us, we came well down the results for the simple reason that the calculator remained unused and we simply drove and enjoyed!

Thanks must go to the organising team of Tony Simmons, Rob Ellis, Daniel & Angela Richardson and Barry & Sharyn Read for their sterling efforts in organising such a successful and enjoyable event.  Roll on 2008…..