At the end of his second week of hill circuit training he completed in the Owairaka marathon, he stayed with the leaders in a top field, coming through in 4th at 20miles. Half a mile later he was reduced to a walk, and at 24 miles he had to sit down.
He dredged himself to a very tired finish of 2:41. Later that day he played a social match of cricket, only lasting 3 balls before he was clean bowled "my vision was obscured, there was no coordination at all..."