2012 National Road Relay Nelson Sat 6 Oct

In what must have been a nail-biting finish the Scottish Men's A team broke through on the last lap to take out the 2012 champions title with a resurgent New Brighton in second.

Scottish won the title back in 2004 when in controversial fashion it was placed first after the Bays Cougars team was given a time penalty for running a short lap. This event was also contested on the roads of Nelson (including some dusty forestry roads) with orange cones were everywhere.

The comeback of New Brighton as a national force is significant because it was one of the clubs to beat in the late 70's and 80's.

Unfortunately National Road Relays results from last century are scare but here is a link to the results of the 1980 Wellington to Masterton event which in the A grade alone had 24 teams of 10 men.  The results are not the easiest to read but it includes many recognisable names.

Athletic NZ 2012 race report and key results

The photo shows a younger Tim Hodge brining home the bacon for the winning Scottish Junior Team in the 2003 National Road Relay at Fielding

The winning 2004 Scottish Men's A Team in the National Road Relay, Nelson

2012 National Road Champs Wellington Sat 1 Sep

 

 

Tim Hodge with winners medal

 

 

 

 

In the Masters Men battle, this is where the break came. Just around the corner is the finish

 

 

 

 

Ray Martin protecting the course from wandering ducks

 

 

 

 

Hamish back from overseas with new look haircut and ready to be an official

 

 

 

 

Leading them out with 9km to go

 

 

 

 

15 year old Jack Beaumot came all the way from Lumsden for his Men's 16 race

 

 

 

 

Sarah Drought looking strong

 

 

 

 

Unlike Prince Harry, coach Kevin Ross successfully fends off the marauding paparazzi

 

 

 

 

Ben Barry ran himslf into the ground after helping to make the pace for four of the five laps. A valiant effort

 

 

 

 

The great Bernie Portenski

 

 

 

 

2012 Bays Relay Wellington Aug 11

The Bays Relay heralded the start of the road racing season. It was a beautiful day and perfect for lap records.  I believe there were a couple. I embedded myself at the lap 2/3 changeover because this is where the light is best. At this stage of the race it can get can hectic but Louise McDonald and the WHAC marshals did a great job managing the incoming/outgoing runners in a tricky part of the course safety wise.  

I missed the Wellington Road Champs at Wainuiomata but Kip Kemei (Scottish) was the unsurprising winner in the Senior Men’s 10k race.  Tim Hodge and Ben Barry (both Scottish) delivered good performances and Ben in particular is having a great season given that he was sidelined with injury for a while last year. In the Senior Women’s race, Sarah Drought (WHAC) is in a class of her own.  

Coming up in the next few weeks are the National Road Champs in Wellington and beyond that the National Road Relays in Nelson.  Although blurry at this stage, I have visions of The Cone.

And before I forget here is a photo of Olympian race walker Quentin Rew in running mode.

2012 Wellington XC Champ Races Waikanae Sat 14 Jul

If anybody slipped over out the back of the course, then I missed it. Except for the shot of Martin van Barneveld below picking himself up after a slip just before the big hill climb. This year all of the jumps were amongst the trees making picture taking conditions very dull. So for the most part, I camped up at the top gate with a good view of the valiant hill climbing efforts. The view from the top is magnificent indeed and with the light drizzle the landscape looked like something that Constable would paint, if he were alive today. 

Despite what appeared to be thin fields, there seemed to be some good racing across the grades.  As expected Wellington Harriers dominated the Junior Men’s grades while Scottish smothered everyone else in the Senior Men’s race. Kip Kemei was the first senior man home which is no surprise given that he has won every race started. I hope he is able to make it to the national XC event in Hamilton next month to continue his success. What would be even more interesting is whether he is able to make it to the National Road Relays which might give Scottish its best chance of winning the coveted national title once again.

When you're feeling like this.....

....then it's time for a pit stop to tie up the shoelaces

Bugger!

Kip Kemei with the Wellington Centre XC Championship Shield, retained by Scottish

2012 Armstrong Motors Harbour City Marathon, Half-Marathon & 10k Races, Wellington Sun 24 Jun

The weatherman said it would be a cold day for running, and it was. Luckily the rain held off. Kip Kemei cleaned up in the half-marathon clocking up 1.06.40 for a course record. This would be Kemei's 5th half-marathon win from 5 starts during his New Zealand visit. In the full marathon Graeme Taylor from Nelson had a comfortable win in 2.33.58, while triathlete Cameron Goldsmid cruised home in 32.25 in the 10k.

Provisional results. 

And for those that thought the famous Auckland Owairaka Club was extinct, look at this..

2012 Dorne Cup XC Races Trentham Memorial Park Upper Hutt Sat 9 Jun

On display for this annual winter event were the lovely colours of autumn and, to the delight of athletes, reasonable underfoot conditions. Despite the construction of a new footbridge the two stream crossings were still part of the course which adds to spectator interest.  The photo below shows Kip Kemei trying to bound the stream in one leap. It didn’t work and he got his feet wet. Peter Wrigley, London Olympics Race Walk judge kept his feet dry and the other photo below shows how he did it.  Provisional results

2012 Wellington Secondary Schools XC Races Trentham Memorial Park Upper Hutt Wed 30 May

This event gives those entered for the National Secondary Schools XC later this month to get some practice. The race distances, the grade format and probably the terrain at Trentham are likely to be mirrored in the national event, so it is a worthwhile exercise.  As you would expect, those that did well at the park were those familiar harrier club and track and field athletes who are very much at home in racing mode. Once the runners sort themselves out it becomes evident which ones find that competing XC is not as easy at it sounds.

The pictures below show, on two separate occasions, Heretaunga College students stopping to help a mate not doing so well.  I was impressed by this show of high school sportsmanship and character which the school should be proud of.