Athlete Spotlight: Jemima Tennekoon

After a long stint off in 2025, I returned to full training in January and have been really happy with how the year has gone.

Highlights include winning the 10km at the Hawke’s Bay Marathon, placing fourth at the NZ Half Marathon Championships in Christchurch, and running a half marathon PB of 1:18:09 on the Gold Coast in July.

Looking ahead, my goals are a top placing in the 10km at the Queenstown Marathon, a 5km PB at the NZ 5km Road Championships in Nelson in early December, and breaking 17 minutes for 5km on the track at Night of 5’s later that month.

I started training at The Mill in January, working with Ben as my strength and conditioning coach. These sessions have become a key part of my weekly routine, helping me build strength and speed while staying injury free.

Having Steph as my physio has also been great for managing niggles and keeping me on track, and being able to train on the treadmill over winter allowed me to stay consistent in the lead up to my half marathon PB on the Gold Coast.

The team at The Mill have been amazing, and having access to such an incredible facility has made a real difference to my training and progress this year!