Marathon effort is not new for Doug | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

He's walked around New Zealand twice and pushed a shopping trolley around Australia and today 75-year-old Doug Wilson will walk a mere 40km.

Mr Wilson is among thousands tackling the 47th annual Rotorua Marathon today and will walk the course around Lake Rotorua using his Nordic walking sticks, a technique he says has great physical benefits.

"I started using them a few years ago and I've never looked back."

He was on a mission to raise awareness about glaucoma, an eye condition which caused blindness, he said.

Mr Wilson should be fairly easy to spot amongst the other competitors with his bright yellow high-vis vest and a flagpole attached to his backpack adorned with bright orange and yellow flags.

"I wanted to stand out and be noticed."

He expects to walk the marathon in five hours.

Event Promotions general manager Murray Fleming said things were looking good for the marathon.

"We've never had a bigger field."

About 4000 people were expected to take part and there were long queues for registration at the Energy Events Centre yesterday.

Following the Rotorua Marathon, Mr Wilson will take off on a walk from Cape Reinga to Bluff in a bid to raise money for glaucoma and to create awareness about condition which, if caught early, is preventable.

"People need to be more aware of it," he said.

Mr Wilson, who is the president of Western Bay of Plenty Grey Power, said he wanted to challenge the Government to fund research into glaucoma.

He was willing to put his body on the line for the cause.

He is also asking Grey Power organisations across New Zealand to put out honesty boxes for the month of July to help raise money. He will also be carrying a box to raise money as he walks.

Mr Wilson said he wasn't worried about the physical effects as he had done it before.

"I've walked the circumference of New Zealand twice."