On June 5, 2011, Mike Leahy crossed the finish line at the Aurora Marathon in Upper Hutt for the hundredth time. As if this wasn’t celebratory enough, wife Chris notched her one hundred and twelfth marathon on the same day, making the couple the first in the southern hemisphere to have both reached their marathon centuries.

The couple met through running, bumping into each other at different events throughout New Zealand’s North Island. The two clicked, got married and continued their love for running together. It would be fair to say marathons for this dynamic duo are now a walk in the park. 

The couple’s success was also an achievement for their club. The Hutt Valley Marathon Clinic is now the only running/walking club in the country with five members in the New Zealand Hundred Marathon Club. Furthermore, the Aurora Marathon is famous in running/walking circles for having people do their hundredth marathon at their event than any other marathon event in New Zealand. Mike was the sixth person to make the hundredth finish there.

Mike is a Sales Representative covering the lower North Island for ASSA ABLOY New Zealand, having been with the company for 15 years. For Mike, the marathon effect has definitely spilled over into his job. “You do relate what you’ve learnt [through marathons] at work; being focused, doing your preparation, setting your goals. You realize if you set your mind to it, you’ll achieve it”.

ASSA ABLOY New Zealand congratulates Mike and Chris on their outstanding achievement.