2014 Black Programme Newtown Park Sat 18 Oct

Results
 

Despite strengthening work on the Newtown Park grandstand which has closed the timing room, Ed Hutchinson and Peter Ballie managed to ring up a portable system which has taken away the angst of manual timing. 

Given the time of year there was a reasonable turn out of athletes especially in the men’s grade which saw at last 3 heats taking up 9 lanes.  But without the crew who regularly come over from the Wairarapa each week numbers would be significantly dented. 

There were good performances in most events but especially by 14yo Michael Poa (St Pats Silverstream) who ran a tactical race 800m storming home in a fine 2.01.  

In the 3000m there was a rare appearance by Dougal Thorburn but it’s a pity that he had no competition to push him along.

 

John Hines wearing a vintage Scottish singlet

Jim Blair thought the caption for this should be the father, the son & the holy ghost. Who am I to argue

Aneurin Hunt does just about everything

Lucy England (Lower Hutt)

Max Press (St Pat's Silerstream) and Faiyeung Szeto (Scottish)

Tom England (Lower Hutt)

Micheal Poa (St Pat's Silverstream)

Ryan Scaife (St Pat's Silverstream)

James Reilly (WHAC)

Andrew Matsuoka-Webber helps Bruno McKight with his blocks

 

 

Bruno McKnight (WHAC) and Mark Macfarlane (Wgtn Masters) with a 38 year gap in age

Harry Burnard and Dougal Thorburn (Scottish)

Faiyeung Szeto (Scottish) and Max Karamanolis (WHAC)

Wingyeung Szeto and Michael Henriks (Scottish)

The "G" Boys

 

Graham Tattersall

Graham Tattersall, Race Director  inspecting the Vosseler Shield course on Mt Victoria in 2012

WHAC Facebook Page

Wellington Harriers have reported that Graham Tattersall (Tatt's) passed away overnight at the Wellington Mary Potter Hospice after a short illness. His death will be a huge loss to WHAC and to the wider Wellington/New Zealand running community.  

Graham is best known as a coach (he was part of the athletics coaching team at the Athens and Beijing Olympics), but, he was also a handy runner in his own right. He led the WHAC Senior Men's A team in the 70's, 80's and 90's to numerous local victories plus a National Road Relay title. In recent years he coached the Men's Junior squad team to individual and team successes which included national championship wins 

Graham was also a significant contributor to the management of WHAC and to Athletics Wellington for which he was a long time selector. RIP Graham, you will be sorely missed.

Athletics mentor 'Tatts' succumbs to cancer

    

KEVIN NORQUAY

Last updated 05:00 17/10/2014

Fairfax NZ

MISSED: Graham Tattersall.

Influential distance running coach Graham Tattersall has died in Wellington, his race ended by aggressive melanomia diagnosed just two months ago.  

"Tatts", who was 69, coached generations of Wellington athletes and several New Zealand representatives, six-time world mountain running champion Jonathan Wyatt and Olympian Derek Froude among them.
 
But while his pinnacle of his career was as distance coach at the 2008 Olympic Games, he was said to be just as proud of his young athletes at Wellington Harrier Athletic Club and at Scots College, where he for 17 years coached the distance squad.
  
He had intended to be the first to tell them he was ill, but the cancer came on so fast he never had the chance.
 
Two weekends back, 10 days after radiation treatment ended, he saw them run for the last time, as they won silver at the national road relay championships over the winding and hilly roads to Akaroa.

He made the trip with the help of a wheelchair pushed by Dallas McCallum, whom he had coached from a junior in the 1980s all the way into a New Zealand singlet.
 
Emotions were running high, with the Wellington athletes writing "For Tatts" on their arms, and team vans sporting "Running 4 Tatts" and "Team Tatts" posters.
 
"I don't know how on earth he made it down there, he was so strong and determined to do it," said top runner Gabby O'Rourke, who worked with him at Scots College.
 
On Wednesday, a bed-ridden Tattersall was able to smile when told he had won an New Zealand Secondary Schools Sport Council service to sport award. It was to have been presented next week.
 
He also received a letter of thanks from Athletics New Zealand for his contribution to the sport at the top level, holding key roles in athletics as team manager and coach at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, world champs and Ekiden relays.
 
He had only one regret, O'Rourke said. "He said he's had a good life, a happy life, he's done everything he wanted to do - except pat a big cat."
 
A private man, Tatts will have a private cremation, with a celebration of his life at Scots College on Labour Weekend Sunday.

Source: The above article was written by Kevin Norquay a Dom Post journalist and former member of Wellington Harriers

2014 Lifestyle 5k Series Wellington Waterfront Tue 14 Oct

Results

Ben Tywman scooted around the course unchallenged to take his tally of wins to 8 in a row. His time of 16.45 was a few seconds slower than last week and well off his best time for the series of 16.14. 

His dominance over the last two months has become quite interesting and I am intrigued by the lack of competition. I would think by now that the race organisers could show a bit of generosity and dole out free race entry to Twyman for the rest of the year. Perhaps they have already done this. 

Ayesha Shafi was the first female home in a time of 19.29. It was her first race in this series and for this event overall.





Just a few people to navigate through today

The amazing Bernie Portenski - still going strong at 65

Ben Twyman making it look easy

The battle to the finish

Ayesha Shafi, first female home

2014 Gold Programme Newtown Park Sat 11 Oct

Results

It was the second meet for the season and conditions were ideal. The jumpers were out testing their early season form and on the tip field the throwers were in. Harry Burnard commenced his 2014 campaign to participate in every track and field event on the programme, although not over a single day. Hugh Steel had 4 of his St Pats Silverstream lads in the 1500m because if you are looking to do well at the Nat Secondary schools Track & Fields Champs in December it pays to start early.

Harry Burnard, the sole competitor in the 400m hurdles

Harry still at it

 

 

2014 Lifestyle 5k Series Wellington Waterfront Tue 7 Oct

Results

Ben Twyman triumphs again winning his 7th 5k waterfront race in as many weeks.

Twyman's time was 16.42 which is his second slowest time of the series so far, but the lack of competition and ever-present waterfront congestion would not have helped. 

Chasing hard was Bert Prendergast who clocked a series PB of 16.54, breaking 17.00 for the first time.   

Ben Twyman has dominated the series so far

 

Fast improving Bert Prendergast