2013 Children's XC Series Race 1 Karori Park Wellington Sun 30 Jun

 

 

This series has been organised by Athletics Wellington and will be run at various locations between 30 June and 8 September. The races are aimed at primary and intermediate school age kids covering year 3 (8) to year 10 (15).  More details can be found here

The Karori races were held at Karori Park and deployed most of the course used for the Wellington Secondary Schools XC Relay races held in May. The course incorporates flat and hilly sections. For this event Gary Weston-Webb laid out the flags from the water crossing and along the side of the slope on the southern potion of the course. Gary, apart from being part of the jugernaut Wellinton Harriers A Team of the the 1980's, also designed the core of the current Vosseler Shield course and the infamous five-hills training run that could bring elite runner to their knees. And today Gary lived up to his reputation for being a hard man and was not in any mood to be kind to the kids. He made sure that they got their feet wet and ran out of breath on their way to the top of the slope.

Lesley Cantwell

The Southland Athletic community will be mourning the loss of Lesley Cantwell who passed away recently in Tahiti.

This is an extract from Lane Smith’s excelent weekly Running Times newsletter

“You have walked your last race

But you are still here in our hearts

And always will be."

The entire athletic community in Southland pays tribute to your courage, determination and spirit. And the Southland team will forever be incomplete.

The race walking community is close and supportive of each other and Lesley’s passing has hit them all hard. These tributes from New Zealand’s best race walkers are all the more meaningful coming from fellow competitors.

From Rozie Robinson.

Rozie Robinson was Lesley’s closest rival and even closer friend.

“Lesley, I have known you since I was a wee year 9 turd as you use to say on athletics trips. You were "the walker" I was just another runner. Looking at you racing is what got me into racewalkin & you know that. You went doing not only something you loved "racewalking" but also with a gold medal representing New Zealand. Never ever forgotten Hun never ever!

Lesley was an amazing athlete she not only went doing what she loved walking but she also went with a gold medal from representing New Zealand. She was a close mate and good rival on the sports field. Her dad coached me back in yr 9 as a runner and in hockey so their family was close to me . She will forever be missed.

“Road Nationals in August is for you Lesley! I’ll be racing for you and bringing home a medal for you!”

From Quentin Rew

Quentin is New Zealand’s top race walker – he holds the 20km NZ record and has represented New Zealand at the Olympics and World Championships.

“So tragic, so unexpected.

Aside from being a tremendous athlete, Lesley has lit up New Zealand athletics since her return to the sport in 2011. She made so many friends, and her unfailing positivity was infectious. Being a single, working mum to three year old Brooke, training alone in remote Te Anau, and battling shin pain with every step, she personified the daily sacrifices and struggles that athletics brings - but also the immense rewards.

 

I was lucky enough to spend time with Lesley at races, most notably our 2012 trip to Hobart with the New Zealand team for the Oceania Race Walking Trophy. She truly was an amazing woman, who will be dearly missed. There have been tears shed here in Leeds, and her family and friends around the world are all united in grief. If you are religious, please pray for Lesley and her family. If not, please keep them in your thoughts.”

R.I.P Lesley Cantwell 1987 – 2013.”

Lesley Cantwell competing at the 2011 Road Champs on the Wellington waterfront

2013 Dorne Cup Trentham Memorial Park Upper Hutt Sat 8 Jun

The heavy rain that has caused flooding in the South Island will hit the lower North Island on Tueday. The wet conditions are expected to hang around for a couple of days and the bets are on to see what state the Dorne Cup creek will be in by race time.

 

Grant McLean in 2012

 

In the senior women’s race Gabby O’Rourke showed her experience by hauling back the leaders on the second lap to win by a comfortable margin.  In the senior men's race Ben Ashkettle visiting from Australia took the lead on lap one but was picked up by an in-form Tim Hodge.   Ashkettle crossed the line in second place but because of a timing chip issue was disqualified.  Interestingly the Scottish Facebook page records Ashkettle as finishing 2^nd with Hamish Carson 3^rd.  For those that may not know Ben’s dad Pat Ashkettle was a pretty handy runner in his day as I can attest from experience.

Not sure what happened to Stefan Smith who is clearly the start photo below although his dad Wayne Smith would have enjoyed himself in what must have been his umpteenth Dorne.  Provisional Individual Results  Provisional Team Results

 

 

 

 

 

2013 Vosseler Shield Mt Victoria Wellington Sat 18 May

The Vosseler Shield is in its 90th year and everybody who has run it will tell you how tough it is. The exhaustion on the faces at the end of each race says it all.  This year Hamish Carson won the race virtually unchallenged adding another title to his belt. If he was Sir Edmund Hilary he might have said "I knocked the bugger off".

 

 

 

 

 

 

The blue wave. Wellington Harriers dominate the Men's U18 grade with six of its members in the first seven finishers.

The real races have been in the kids grades. As with the Shaw Baton (and most likely with University Relays) there has been battle in the BU13 grade between Wellington Harriers (20 team points), Trentham United (22 team points) and Wellington Olympic (23 team points).  Further back was Hutt Valley Harriers (30) points. This could be the grade to watch for the rest of the XC season.

I doubt that I would run anybody so small over any part of the Vosseler.  In the kids race there is a mighty climb from the start line to the road which would seem like a mountain to a tike with short legs.


Individual Results
Team Results
Club Points
Photos

2013 University Relays, QEII Park Paekakariki Sat 11 May

Brent Ballantyne on his annual xc outing with the University Club. In his day Ballantyne was a local middle distance track star and for 20 years held the Junior record for the fastest 1500m time at Newtown Park until it was taken by Nick Willis.

Photos

2013 Shaw Baton Relays Battle Hill Pauatahanui Sat 27 Apr

The Shaw Baton relay race is the first inter-club event of the winter season centre and generally well supported. As cross country races go it has everything, flat bits, boggy bits, grass, gravel, wooden jumps, a water obstacle, uphill, downhill and great scenery.  The place to be is the water jump because this is where the minor mishaps are likely to occur and in front of the enthusiastic gallery ready to applaud those water crossings perfectly executed. Not all made it with dignity, but because the clock is ticking there is no time for team runners to reflect on what went wrong. As usual the Olympic Club were efficient with their organisation and with the speedy production of preliminary team results.
Photos

Rowan Hooper leading the way in the 6 Lap race

Some minor mishaps in no particular order