A meteoric and metronomic run will be required from Toby Gualter, as he sets out to chase a mark not touched in over 60 years. A hair under 50 and a half laps of the 400m track at Mt Smart Stadium will be required to break NZ’s oldest standing track record – the one-hour mark set by Bill Baillie in 1963 of 20,190m. To break the record, Gualter will have to tick off fourteen-minute and fifty-second 5000m pace, over twice as fast as the average Parkrun finishing time of 32:30. And he’ll have to do that four times in a row.
Attempting the hour mark had its genesis just six weeks ago. “On October 1, my coach brought up the idea of the one-hour record attempt, and I was instantly excited, thinking of ways we could make it happen,” Gualter said. “After finishing third at the Melbourne Half in mid-October, I was confident it was possible. Bill Baillie has always been one of the runners I’ve looked up to. His record has stood for 62 years, and some of New Zealand’s best have tried but fallen short. I want to be the one who finally breaks it, and I know Bill would want that too.”
Gualter has had a breakout year across the NZ winter season. He’s rewritten personal bests over 5000m, 10,000m, and the half-marathon in 2025. Gualter has had a golden run in national championships this year, winning titles in Mountain Running, Half-Marathon, 10km and 5km on the roads and the 10,000m on the track. While he’s found success across the season, he’s stepped things up a gear for this next challenge.
“The last four weeks have been some of the hardest training I’ve ever done”
Toby Gualter
“I’ve focused on being consistent and intentional, putting extra emphasis on the long run and key sessions, and recovering as best I can between my day job and training. The system has been similar to what I normally do, just with more mileage and discipline around pacing. I’ve been training faster than goal pace and paying close attention to nutrition during sessions so I can recover well.”
For Gualter, the history behind the record adds extra motivation. “The history of New Zealand running has always inspired me. Bill Baillie was one of Arthur Lydiard’s athletes, training and racing alongside Snell, Magee, and Halberg, who proved New Zealanders can beat the best in the world. I want to continue that legacy. Bill’s record has stood since 1963, probably New Zealand’s oldest national record, and at the time, it was also a world record. The chance to also claim the 20 km record along the way is an extra incentive.”
View more about Bill Baillie in our Legends Section here.
Pacing will be critical. “I wanted guys who are tough and reliable,” Gualter said. ”I have full trust that these guys will give their best and help me get to 15 km feeling strong.” His pacers include Ronan Lee, Toby Tasker, Jared Monk, and Caleb Wagener, the current world under-19 Triathlon Duathlon champion. “Mum and Dad will be there too. Dad has biked with me through some brutal sessions, and Mum usually sees the aftermath when I get home hungry and start eating everything in sight.”
Gualter has studied Hayden Wilde’s 2020 attempt, which fell just short at 19,834 metres. “I re-watched his attempt. It looked windy that day, and it clearly got tough around 15 km. Everyone I’ve talked to has said this record is much harder than people think. Holding 2:58 per km for an hour takes incredible mental focus and patience.”
Mt Smart and the Auckland City Athletics Club will host the event as part of their monthly “Race Night” series. The series is no stranger to hosting big races, with Sam Ruthe lining up for his viral sub-four-minute mile at the event earlier in the year. Club president, Simon Yarrow, is thrilled to be hosting Gualter’s attempt.
“Auckland City Athletics Club is super excited to be supporting Toby Gualter’s NZ 1-hour record attempt at the ACA Fast & Furious Race Night 2 on Wednesday, 19th November.” Said Yarrow.
These evening mini-meets are the perfect opportunity for athletes to go for a PB and/or NZ record. Hence, we really enjoy hosting ‘athlete-requested’ events like this 1-hour race, and Sam Ruthe’s sub-4-minute mile last season.”
The meet is also hanging an additional cash-bonus carrot for anyone breaking a New Zealand record on the evening, “We’re hoping we can hand over the $1000 to Toby for breaking the NZ record next Wednesday!”
Fans and supporters are encouraged to come down to Mt Smart Stadium on November 19 to cheer Toby on as he chases history. The event will also be streamed live for those who can’t attend in person.
Globally, the one-hour run remains a rare and prestigious challenge. The current men’s world record is 21,330 metres by Mo Farah, set in Brussels in 2020, while the women’s mark is 18,930 metres by Sifan Hassan. Baillie’s record was once a world best, and breaking it would be a historic achievement for New Zealand athletics.
Event Information
Date: Wednesday, 19 November
Time: 7:00 PM (Variable for conditions)
Location: Mt Smart Stadium (Arena 2)