Bay runners take on China's Great Wall and win | Bay of Plenty Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Bay of Plenty

Remarkable Tauranga athlete Karen Holmes is rummaging for her next adventure after knocking off the Great Wall of China Marathon with a collection of her closest friends.

Holmes and Chris Olsen ran the full 42.2km Great Wall marathon, while Gaylene Stevenson, Lee Gardiner, her daughter Emma Gardiner, Jan Green, Margaret Gartshore and Sarah Barlow tackled the 21.1km option on and around the wall's Tianjin section.

It was the third epic endeavour for Holmes, a former trackwork jockey. She completed the Coast to Coast multisport race in 2006, just over a year after she almost bled to death after being hit by a truck near the harbour bridge while out training on her bike. She also completed  the New York marathon,  in 2006, in 4hr 54min.

Holmes was greeted at the finish of the Coast to Coast at Christchurch's Sumner Beach with a surprise visit from best friend Julie Beesley, who had flown in from London.

Beesley surprised her friend again in China as Holmes finished the marathon in 7hr 30min 24sec.

"It was a total surprise (to see Beesley). I'll now have to think of something else to do as the last time I saw her was at the Coast to Coast in 2006."

Holmes said the Tauranga group, some of whom only met a year ago on social walks around Mount Maunganui, was buzzing after finishing the half marathon and marathon runs.

"None of us broke any records but we had a fantastic time, with everyone accomplishing what they set out to do (to finish)," she said.

"The wall was amazing, with all the training sessions we did on the Tois Challenge (bush) track between Whakatane and Ohope holding us in good stead for the 5164 steps on the Great Wall.

"Personally, I would have preferred more steps and less flat as running is still a problem for me (after her accident). The (time) cut-off to get back on the wall was a little too close for comfort for me but I was in my element when I was back on the steps."

The  women took  gifts to give out in the villages, reciprocating  flowers being handed to them by Chinese children. "I took some lollies out of my pocket to give to a couple of kids but was surrounded, so I ended up just giving them the bag."

Tauranga finishers:

Marathon: Christine Olsen 6:42:12, Karen Holmes 7:30:24.

Half marathon: Emma Gardiner 3:46:57, Lee Gardiner 4:05:57, Gaylene Stevenson 3:54:09, Sarah Barlow 3:46:56, Jan Green 4:05:58, Margaret Gartshore 3:46:56.