Athletics New Zealand – News – Dougal Thorburn and Shireen Crumpton win national marathon titles and Wkly R’up

24/06/2013 10:01:29 a.m. – WELLINGTON New Zealand Marathon Championship, Westpac Stadium – 23 June 2013
Dougal Thorburn of Wellington won his first national title in winning the New Zealand marathon championship yesterday. The 32 year old doctor ran a personal best time and course record by six minutes of 2h 25m 33s, despite having a bruised foot, to beat Takapuna’s Stephen Lett by 1m 26s. Thorburn took the lead just before half way and was not troubled through to the finish. Chris Sanson of Palmerston North was third in 2h 29m 38s.

Katie Kemp was the first woman in 2h 53m 38s but was not eligible for the championship. Shireen Crumpton of Dunedin, second in 2h 55m 4s, collected her fourth New Zealand women’s marathon title. Katrin Gottschalk of Auckland was second in the championship in 3h 7m 59s with Natalie Gaskin of Wellington third in 3h 13m 26s. Tim Hodge won the half marathon in 1h 9m 42s, from James Richardson 1h 11m 11s and Matt Dravitzki 1h 11m 39s. Liza Hunter-Galvan won the women’s half in 1h 20m 26s from Katie Wright 1h 21m 11s and Angela Leck 1h 22m 50s. The associated 10km went to Matt Harris in a course record 31m 21s from Jesse Patel 31m 46s and Chris McIlroy 33m 34s. Gabrielle O’Rourke won the women’s 10km in 36m 37s from Jean Kozyniak 37m 48s and Charlotte Haina 38m 18s. David Jones won the marathon walk in 4h 50m 6s from Donna Roderick 4h 55m 28s. The half walk went to Mike Morresey in 1h 57m 7s from Eric Kemsley 2h 2m 57s with Terri Grimmett the first woman in 2h 18m 8s. Courtney Ruske won the 10km walk in 52m 38s from David Wackrow 59m 45s.

USA
Boston 10km Road Race – 23 June 2013
Kimberley Smith finished second in the 10km road race which was the second race of the three race distance medley series in Boston.
Smith recorded 33m 34s well behind the winner Mamitu Daska of Ethiopia who ran 31m 45s. Daska led from the start and increased her lead throughout to clock the second fastest time among women in the race history, behind Kimberley Smith’s 31m 36s in 2012.
Smith leads the BAA distance medley by more than a minute with a cumulative time of 48m 50s and her victory in the 5km race on 4 April and her second in the 10km.
Smith entered the race hampered by a strained Achilles tendon and said after crossing the finish line that she was simply glad to be able to maintain her lead in the BAA distance medley.

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, Duluth Minnesota – 22 June 2013
Mary Davies cut 43 seconds off her personal best time in winning the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in 1h 11m 7s.
Her intermediate times were 5km 16m 22s, 10km 33m 16s and 10 miles 54m 9s. Davies headed in 3900 other women and was fourth overall.
The USA Half Marathon champs where held on the same day on the same course and Davies time would have won the US title, had she been eligible.
The 30 year old Houston-based Kiwi will be running in the marathon at the World Athletic Championships in Moscow in August.

GERMANY
Niederodenbach – 21 June 2013
Tom Walsh was second in the 7.26kg shot put with 19.21m. Matthew Bloxham won the 5kg shot put with 18.03m and Ben Chong Wong was second 17.74m.

Schweinfurt – 22 June 2013
Matthew Bloxham added 73cm to his New Zealand under 17 and under 18 5kg hammer throw record with his winning throw of 74.20m.
After some impressive warm up throws well over 70m Bloxham fouled his first three throws in the competition. He would have been eliminated but was lucky that there were only eight competitors and everybody was allowed six throws. He had another foul in the fourth round but finally succeeded to get it right in the fifth to not only win the competition but improve his New Zealand records. In the last round he tried to get faster but it was only 72.04m. He will have another chance on Sunday at a special hammer competition in Frankisch-Crumbach, to try to become the first New Zealand hammer thrower over the 75m line.
Ben Chong Wong was third in the 5kg shot put with 17.73m.

Frankisch-Crumbach – 23 June 2013
Matthew Bloxham won the 5kg hammer with a throw of 73.59m, which would have been a New Zealand record before his throw the day before in Schweinfurt.

SPAIN
Bilbao – 21 June 2013
Monique Dell (nee Williams) was second in the 200m in 24.21s (nwi) while Julian Matthews was 12th in the 1500m in 3m 43.72s.

FRANCE
Alsace Regional Championships, Mulhouse – 16 June 2013
Matthew Bloxham at a warm up meeting prior to the World Youth Championships secured a personal best hammer throw with the senior 7.26kg implement of 57.52m. This added 1.75m to his previous best and takes him to 13th on the New Zealand all time list. Bloxham (16) also won the 5kg hammer with a throw of 72.59m and the 5kg shot put with 18.53m. Ben Chong Wong won the 6kg shot put with 15.76m and the 1.5kg discus throw with 45.04m. Chong Wong was second to Bloxham in the 5kg shot put with 17.96m.

Lingolsheim – 19 June 2013
Ben Chong Wong first in the 6kg shot put with a PB 16.12m. Matthew Bloxham was out to a winning throw of 72.71m with the 5kg hammer.

AUSTRALIA
Throwers’ Permit Meeting, Sydney – 16 June 2013
Warren Button of Katikati threw 54.06m with the hammer to record the sixth best throw on the 2013 rankings.

AUCKLAND
Mini Meeting, Millennium Stadium North Shore – 22 June 2013
Zoe Hobbs won the sprint double, recording 12.25s (+0.4) over 100m and 25.79s (+0.6) in the 200m. Fiona Morrison clocked 13.89s (-1.1) and 13.77s (+1.2) in the 100m hurdles. James Mortimer was the 100m in 10.94s (-0.2) while James Sandilands recorded 14.71s (-1.1) and 14.51s (+1.2) in the 914mm 110m hurdles. Elizabeth Lamb was over at 1.78m in the high jump and Te Rina Keenan was out to 52.94m in the discus with Siositina Hakeai throwing 52.78m. Charlie Gamble threw the 1.5kg discus 48.84m with Marshall Hall recording 41.30m with the 2kg discus.

BALCLUTHA
Balclutha Half Marathon – 23 June 2013
Neale McLanachan won in 1h 9m 4s from Romain Mirosa 1h 12m 5s and Simon Richardson 1h 14m 58s. Louisa Andrew won the women’s half in 1h 19m 34s from Mel Aitken 1h 22m 37s and Emma Lloyd 1h 28m 11s. Jason Palmer won the 10km in 36m 12s from Allan Staite 36m 27s and Alan Funnell 37m 5s. Megan Balchin won the women’s 10km in 44m 46s with Janeece Park taking out the 10km walk in 1h 17m 26s.

Athletics NZ Performance Potential Squad Announced
The Athletics NZ High Performance department has named the Performance Potential Squad (PPS) for 2013-2014. PPS is the new title for the former Rio Squad. The squad comprises 48 gold category and 12 silver category members. More details of the squad can be found HERE
 
Athletics NZ 2014 Relays Programme Update
Athletics New Zealand High Performance is committed to qualifying Relay Squads for the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in all four relay events. An update on the programme including a call
for Expressions of Interest for four 2014 Glasgow Relay Squad Coaches can be found HERE

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