March’s Round the Bays 8.4km fun run delivered just about perfect conditions for a day on the road around Auckland’s waterfront for NZ Optics co-owners Stephen Old and James Butcher, his wife Lisa and more than 31,000 other runners.

“The temperature was kind, the wind stayed away and there was no shortage of energy or encouragement to keep making our way around the waterfront,” Old said. The first kilometre, however, was always going to be a challenge for him.

“My ankle had been giving me grief in the lead-up and, with such a large field at the start line, finding any sort of space or rhythm was almost impossible. Progress was slow, cautious and a little frustrating, but patience paid off.”

As the field began to stretch out, Old said his ankle settled and he was able to open up his stride and find a pace that felt sustainable.

“From that point on, it became less about watching out for hazards and more about consistency, holding a rhythm, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the experience. There’s something uniquely motivating about an event like Round the Bays: the cheers from the sidelines, the shared effort among runners and the sense that everyone is out there for their own reason, pushing through their own limits,” he said.

The trio took part in the fun run to raise funds and awareness for Glaucoma NZ, sporting the charity’s T-shirts in what they described as a “fantastic collective effort”.

“The run was a reminder to us that events like this are about more than kilometres and times. They’re about community, purpose and showing up for causes that matter,” said Butcher.

Crossing the finish line was satisfying, they agreed. But the real highlight came afterwards, with Team NZ Optics raising $1,093 for Glaucoma NZ, “a result that made every step worthwhile”.