Wanted: a marathon runner to travel to Japan

Thanks to our strong sister city link with Sakai, the Wellington Sakai Association and Wellington City Council are looking for a marathon runner to represent the capital in the Senshu International City Marathon in Japan next February.

The successful applicant will travel free to Japan on 16 February 2012, staying three nights in a hotel and three nights in a Japanese homestay, and run the Senshu International City Marathon on Sunday 19 February.

Sakai is a city in the province of Senshu, near the city of Osaka.

Melissa Huggins, the Council's International Relations Project Coordinator, says it is a great opportunity for a Wellington marathon runner to represent our city in an international event.

"It's not every day that opportunities like this come along, and we are grateful to Sakai for hosting this event and inviting us to participate again. This is a great opportunity for a Wellington marathoner who would like to go the extra mile and also be an ambassador for our city."

Applicants must:

• have completed marathons
• be a Wellington city resident
• be over 18 years old
• be a regular runner, fit and in training
• be able to run a mostly flat course marathon in winter conditions in four hours or less
• be very keen and able to be an ambassador for Wellington City
• be very interested in embracing, contributing to and participating in the Wellington?Sakai sister city relationship while in Sakai and after you return home.

The deadline for entry in the competition is Tuesday 15 November. Six finalists will be selected from the pool of applicants. City Councillor John Morrison, the Council's Sport and Events Portfolio Leader, will draw the name of the lucky winner live on NewstalkZB between 7am and 9am on Saturday 19 November.

Application forms can be picked up at Wellington City Council service centres, libraries, swimming pools and recreation centres, Sport Wellington, and the Japanese Information and Cultural Centre. Application forms can be downloaded at Wellington.govt.nz ? search for Senshu Marathon ? and emailed to the.tawa.hodges@ihug.co.nz or posted to: Sports Committee, Wellington Sakai Association, PO Box 7215, Wellington.

For further information please contact:

Bev Hodge, Wellington Sakai Association phone 232 3246 or email the.tawa.hodges@ihug.co.nz

Melissa Huggins, Council International Relations Project Coordinator, phone 806 4734 or 021 247 9734