A mammoth crowd of over 2,000 seized the very first opportunity to walk down the runway at Nelson Airport.
Saturday’s sunset walk raised more than $5,000 for Leukemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand and supported airport firefighters Murray Hart and Matt van der Heyden’s participation in the Firefighter Sky Tower Challenge.
It was the first time the 1.3-kilometer runway had been open to the public and the large turnout surprised organizers who were optimistically hoping for around 1,000 people.
Hart attributed the turnout to the gold coin donation being affordable and for a good cause, and being something that had not been done before in Nelson.
FRY FASTER / STUFF
Some of the 2,000-strong crowd that lined the runway at Nelson Airport on Saturday night.
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FRY FASTER / STUFF
Families turned out in droves for the inaugural event.
Other airports had held running events on runways, but Hart said they wanted it to be open to families and children. They got their wish with prams and mobility scooters joined on the tarmac by people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters. Others did handstands and cartwheels, or lay on the lane markers.
“We’ve had really good feedback,” Hart said. “A lot of people want to do it again. There was an amazing sunset that was amazing and people took millions of pictures.”
Passengers who had just landed on Saturday’s final flight to Nelson were given an unexpected welcome by hundreds of people waiting in the terminal for the event. Spontaneous applause erupted.
“They were dumbfounded,” Hart said.
FRY FASTER / STUFF
A scenic sunset ended the walk in style just before the rain started.
On Sunday, he was back in training, lugging heavy breathing equipment up the Tamaki Steps in preparation for the 51 stairs in the Sky Tower challenge on May 20.
He’s done the challenge before, but said each time it seemed harder to run up the stairs against the clock in full firefighter gear. “However, it’s worth knowing that you’re helping people who really need it.”