Rose-Anna Hoey broke Dawn Richardson’s 2009 Bermuda Triangle Full Challenge record with about five minutes to spare after finishing yesterday’s marathon in 3hr 6min 56sec.

Hoey pumped her fists in the air as she broke the tape well under the target of 3:12:27.

She was immediately congratulated by her husband David and young son Matthew as she savoured the moment.

Hoey did the half-marathon loop in 1:31:24, which left her with a target of about 1:40 for the second loop in order to stay on course for the record. She managed 1:35:36.

“I did the wrong thing in a marathon, and I would never advise it, but I planned on running a positive split which means running the second half slower than the first half,” Hoey said.

“The reason being is there is nobody out there on the course in the second half so I had to settle into a pace and keep going.

“I realised I had some time to spare [after the first loop], so just relax and try to run a 7.20 pace and knew if I did that I would run under 3:10.”

At the finish line Hoey could not control her emotions as fellow runners Victoria Fiddick, her coach, Deon Breary and Tamika Miranda all came over to congratulate her.

“I felt like crying to be honest, I saw my husband and son, and that was a bit emotional,” she said. “I’m so pleased, I just want to thank everybody, my family and friends, who supported me.

“The second lap was lonely but my friend Chris, who was out for a Sunday morning run, joined me for a few miles to keep me company.”

Hoey kept in contention for the record by recording a time of 42:16 in Saturday’s 10K race in blustery and rainy conditions.

The time was 56 seconds slower than Richardson’s time of 41:20 seven years ago.

“The wind started picking up on the North Shore so you take what you can get, I broke the record and I’m so pleased,” she said.

Breary was the first local female finisher in the half-marathon, coming across the line in 1:29.

“I’m happy with my time, I was aiming for 1:28, didn’t make it, but I’m pleased with the 1:29,” Breary said.