Athletics New Zealand – News – Athletics NZ Weekly Roundup 5 October 2015

New Zealand Road Relay Championships, Takahe to Akaroa – 3 October 2015
Wellington Scottish won the senior men’s title and University of Canterbury the senior women’s at the New Zealand road relay championships in Christchurch on Saturday.

Running in the 75th anniversary of the classic relay from the Sign of the Takahe to Akaroa the Scottish team led from start to finish in the eight lap 76.6km event with Dougal Thorburn getting the team off to a flying start and Evan Cooper anchoring them home in 4:09:10.

Wesley of Auckland were second, four minutes in arrears with defending champions Auckland City Athletic third. It was Scottish’s sixth senior title and second on the Akaroa course having previously won in 2001. Sumner won the B grade and Wesley the C grade.

Scottish also won the master men and master women relays. In the men adding to wins in 2010 and 2011 and in the women their fifth title in a row and tenth overall.

University of Canterbury with two runners who represented New Zealand at the recent world athletic championships in Beijing Angie Petty and Rosa Flanagan ran out winners by six minutes of the senior women’s relay. University won the inaugural national relay title at Akaroa in 1977 and have now collected eight titles. The defending champions North Harbour Bays were second with Wellington Harriers third. Nelson made it four years in a row in the master men’s over 60 relay established in 2012 and Wellington Harriers the 2013 winners won the master men over 50 relay by a wide margin of 26 minutes.

The Wellington Harrier team were running in memory of Club stalwart and coach Graham Tattersall who passed away shortly after last year’s relays. Dallas McCallum who looked after Tattersall at Akaroa last year returned to race lap five for the team. “I was a member of the WHAC winning senior teams in 1984 and 1989 and the experience this year was as good as the first two,” he said.

Christchurch Avon repeated their 2014 win in the junior men’s race and Athletics Nelson took out the junior women.

Wellington Scottish won the top Club award to cap off their centenary celebrations with 56 points beating Wellington Harrier Athletic (48) and Auckland City Athletic (46).

Earlier story
Full Results

AUCKLAND
Sri Chinmoy 24/12 Hour races, AUT Millennium Stadium – 3-4 October 2015
Racewalker Graeme Jones completed 103.247m in 12 hours, setting Racewalking NZ records for 6hrs, 80kms, 50miles, 100kms and 12hours. The 24 hours races were won by Alexander McKenzie (190km) and Sharon Scholz (170km). 12 hour races were won by Wayne Botha (119km) and Fiona Ellison (100km).

HAMILTON
Hamilton Half Marathon, Flagstaff Park – 4 October 2015
Camille Buscomb cut a minute and a half off her personal best in finishing fourth overall in the annual Hamilton half marathon in a race record 1:14:20. Buscomb’s previous best was in winning the Auckland Half Marathon last November. She won by a wide margin over Leonie Kaywood who ran 1:31:53 and Toni McKenzie who clocked 1:34:18. Buscombe won last year in 1:17:38.
Aaron Pulford made it three years in a row in in the men’s race, winning in a race record of 1:06:37. Greg Darbyshire was second in 1:11:12 and Phil Murray third in 1:13:47. Pulford had a best on the Hamilton course of 1:07:11 in 2011. Donna Roderick won the half marathon walk in 2:07:52.
The 10km went to Benjamin Eurich in 34:54 from Mathijs Welzels 36:03 and Rhys Mildon 36:27. Rowan Marie Torckler set a race record of 35:37 in winning the women’s 10km. Charli Miller was second in 38:20 and Claire Sayer third in 41:51. Scott McDougan won the 10km walk in 51:28.

NEW PLYMOUTH
35th Taranaki Daily News Half Marathon, Pukekura Raceway – 4 October 2015
Robert Rawles won in 1:17:47 from Scott Van Dyk 1:18:56 and George Stewart 1:19:32. Sasha Antunovic won the women’s half in 1:27:52 from Anna Fischer 1:27:57 and Waitohu Ngarewa 1:29:40. Harry Terwiel won the half walk in 2:05:13 and the 5km run was won by Hannah O’Connor in 18:18.

DUNEDIN
Athletics Otago Meeting, Caledonian Ground – 3 October 2015
Jessica Hammill extended her New Zealand F34 shot put record to 7.14m. Rory McSweeney broke his Otago F44 javelin record with a personal best throw of 51.81m. Anna Grimaldi T47 200m 26.80 and LJ 5.13m (+2,4). Felix McDonald 100m 11.83 (+0.6), 200m 23.30 NWI and 400m 52.23. Jacob Granger 400m 53.21. Scott Murfitt 100m 11.43 (+0.6) and 200m 22.50 NWI. Mel Aitken MW 1500m 5:15.30 and 5000m 18:08.03. Hannah Ashton TJ 10.22 (+1.3). Hugh McLeod-Jones 5kg SP 15.37m and 1.5kg DT 48.21m. Todd Bates 7.26kg HT 52.11m. Mayce Ballantyne 4kg HT 43.32m.

CHINA
Tour de Wuzhong Racewalking, Ningxia, 26-29 September 2015
Alana Barber finished 15th overall in the four stage racewalking competition with a combined time across the four stages of 3:46:07. Quentin Rew finished in 23 overall, in a total time of 3:28:30. The winners were Zhen Wang (China) with 3:16:58 in the men and Lyudmyla Olyanovska (Ukraine) in 3:26:02.

ROAD AND TRAIL RACES AROUND THE COUNTRY
Auckland
O’Hagan’s Viaduct 5km, 29 September: Luke Hurring 15:20, Duncan Morrison 16:14, Devon Beckman 16:16. Helen Kilding 19:42.
Rat Race 5km Takapuna, 30 September: Mark Boyce 16:08, Gene Rand 16:53, Sean Donoghue 17:21.
Cornwall Park Parkrun 5km, 3 October: Gavin Butler 18:35, Gus Reece 18:56.
Great Barrier Island Wharf to Wharf Marathon and Half Marathon, 3 October: James Bailey 3:49:16. Jana Marusakova 4:06:46. Half; Jackson Tatton 1:28:32, Andy Kilgallon 1:58:52. Sarah Davis 2:05:21, Bonnie Burrill 2:05:54.

Wellington
Waterfront 5km, 29 September: Ben Twyman 16:45, Bert Prendergast 16:57, Joshua Smith 17:14.
Lower Hutt Parkrun 5km, 3 October: Kenny Clark 17:59, Brendon Thompson 18:14.
Porirua Parkrun 5km, 3 October: Laurence Pidcock 18:03.

Picton
Marina to Marina 13km Road Race, 3 October: Billy Hebbert 58:20, Sam Hansby 58:44, Martin Pattison 1:01:39. Nicola Handley 1:10:56, Anthea Lees 1:19:14, Liz Coke 1:21:40.

Christchurch
Hagley Parkrun 5km, 3 October: Neil Christian 18:24.

Murray McKinnon
Athletics New Zealand Correspondent
0274 806086
murray@mckinnon.co.nz

Athletics New Zealand – News