From competition to camaraderie, moments of personal triumph to moments of pain – mixed with a bit of rain – the 35th running of the Round Raro Road Race (RRRR) certainly had it all.

The colourful registration and five kilometre fun run gave the event a bright and cheery start ahead of Saturday’s main race.

Inclement weather couldn’t prevent cancer battler Warick Brenan from securing his third RRRR title.

It was a poignant moment as the Aucklander, who is in the final few stages of overcoming a three-year battle with lung cancer, came home triumphantly before he later described it as his most important victory. He previously won the main race in 2007 and 2008.

New Zealand’s Lesley Turner-Hall also tasted success when she won the women’s division of the main race before she pledged her attendance in 2013 to defend her title.

The poor run of weather continued to Monday and so, too, did the colourful outfits at Hash Harriers’ 32nd birthday.

Led by Hash veteran Slacker, a committed group of 90-odd runners took part in the organisation’s 1667th run and duly celebrated afterwards with a big feast that would rival any ministerial spread on any given day.

Tuesday illustrated the camaraderie of the Round the Rock Relay and while there was plenty of time for banter throughout the race, the notes of congratulations afterwards made for a heartwarming encounter.

Wednesday’s lessons at Tereora College would have been a highlight for the students, whose 20-man team known as the Cornflakes overcame the teachers’ 10-man group by a considerable margin.

Meanwhile, the Nutters were given a scare during a relatively dangerous Cross Island Run on Wednesday night.

With night falling and only 28 finishers of the 36 entrants having finished, concerns were raised about the wellbeing of those who were either lost or stuck with marshalls.

One of those participants, Martin Meads, had fallen as many as six metres when the branch he held onto collapsed. He was sent to hospital for treatment and was subsequently released the next morning.

The relief was palpable as the other seven runners arrived in vehicles shortly before the marshalls to bring the 2012 festival to an end.

Then, as the sun shone for the remainder of the week, a question that arose was the potential introduction of the marathon after three Japanese runners, Yasushi Kokubu, Shinichi Takahashi and Akira Niida, ran the distance in Saturday’s race.

The idea of a half marathon distance, too, would certainly appeal to racegoers, 10 kilometre race runner Debbie Moore said.

“I’d just think there would be more people,” Moore said.

“There are some people who would want to run in different places. I think if you had those lengths of races you would get more people.”

RRRR organiser Kristina Lewis-Tatam said it was something the organising committee was looking into.

“I reckon we’d attract heaps more people even if it means we do a marathon run another time of the year. It’s up for discussion,” Lewis-Latham said.

“Round Raro is so special – that distance is so special – we don’t want to take that away as well.”

As for next year’s edition of the main race, September 21, 2013, was announced as the main date by Athletics Cook Islands president Ina Marsters at the prizegiving function last Sunday.