Hamilton woman Rachel Nooyen is stepping it up to do the Huntly Half Marathon in May this year.

The 19-year-old Wintec sports science student will be competing for the first time in the half marathon. “I’ve been a part of shorter distance running events, like Round the Bridges and the Huntly 10km run, but not a half marathon.”

Nooyen is a member of the Hamilton City Hawks club, which organises the Solid Energy Huntly Half marathon taking place this year on May 22.

Nooyen will be competing in the event with her mother whom she has competed alongside in many other events. “My mum is doing the Huntly Half as well and I have been training with her. We run together up to two times a week, and we do the Eastside run on Tuesdays with the Hamilton City Hawks.”

With plans to complete the half marathon in 1hr 45min, Nooyen has been training five to six times a week. “I generally run in the afternoon. I run on Saturdays and that’s a 15-18km run, Tuesday is 5km at Eastside with the Hawks which is more of a speed session, and Thursday is a pack run at the Hawks club room and that is 12km. I’ve already made a training plan for myself but Corey Hinde from the Hamilton City Hawks running club, and the Hamilton Half race director, has given me tips to help me prepare.”

The challenge for Nooyen is pushing herself to go the extra distance. “Long runs are really hard especially if you’re not in the mood to train. The 15-18km runs will gradually become longer as the time draws near.”

Nooyen started running at 13, where she began competing in triathlons and shorter distance events like the TriWoman Hamilton. “My mum would compete in those events as well so it helped me get into it. Those kinds of events just started me off and then I just stuck with running.”

During her training for the half marathon Nooyen will post a weekly blog on the Huntly Half website hoping to give others the motivation to participate. “I think that my blog will help people get ideas and to become motivated. I know that when I am training for a run it helps give me ideas when I see what others are doing and how they’re training.”

Nooyen hopes to compete in larger events one day, such as the Paris Marathon in which her mother will participate in April. “My mum will be running alongside 40,000 other people – that’s something I aspire to do one day.”

The 2011 Solid Energy Huntly Half Marathon and 2XU 10km run takes place on Sunday May 22, 2011. The annual event, which starts and finishes at the Huntly Park Domain, has $15,000 worth of merit and spot prizes on offer, including $1000 each for the first female runner and first male runner home. www.huntlyhalf.co.nz. Entries submitted before March 17 will go into the draw to win $500 of 2XU products.

Follow Rachel's progress as she prepares for the 2011 Huntly Half Marathon on her training blog!