2015 Children’s XC Series Race 4 Grenada North Park Tawa Sun 16 Aug

Individual results

Team results

There were 8 races today, ranging from 500m for the year 0’s (pre-schoolers) to 2.2km for the year 7 & 8 kids.  Putting a bunch of kids in a park with other kids means that they aren’t going to stand around like adults talking about the weather. No with a playground and a bunch of trees to explore and balls to kick, they were off.  While adults tip-toed through the mud, the children did everything possible to get grubby.  

Every race has a trail blazer or two. These are usually teenage club runners used to cross country running. Their job is to head out as the vanguard in front of the race field to make sure that they follow them through the course.  It goes without saying that some courses are hard to follow with tape and cones everywhere; for example the course this year was different from last year with a significant portion run in the opposite direction.

What mischief have they been up to?

When you come into the Olympic Stadium, to win the marathon this is what you need to look like.

Standing guard over the baggage train

Oops

The vanguard

The vanguard testing the jump for height

Murray McGaughran

From Athletics Wellington

"It is with sadness we wish to inform everyone of the passing of Murray McGaughran yesterday. Murray had recently been fighting cancer but succumbed to a chest infection which proved too virulent for his weakened immune system. Murray was a member of the Olympic Harrier and Athletic Club for many years - running, coaching, marshalling, race directing...the list goes on. He was past Club Captain and President of the Club and a Life Member. Murray knew everyone by name and was passionate about the sport spending many, many volunteer hours in all his various roles. He will be hugely missed. His funeral will be held at the Anchor Church, 1 Joseph Banks Drive, Whitby, 1:00 p.m. Monday 10 August".

Apart form his work as an administrator with Olympic Harriers and the Wellington Centre, Murray was also Race Director for the World Mountain Running Champs held in Wellington in 2005.

I have posted some photos of Murray in action from events in 2009.

Respectful condolences from me to the McGaughran family.

Murray McGaughran Shaw Baton 2009

Murray McGaughran Dorne Cup 2008

Murray McGaughran Wellington XC Champs at Waikanae 2009

2015 National XC Champs Haswell Quarry Christchurch Sat 1 Aug

Results

Malcolm Hicks (Auckland) regained the title he won in 2013, holding off race favourite Matt Baxter (Auckland)

The U10 winner but because entries were not required I do not have a name. Needless to say we shall probably see him in a few years breaking a few records.

Marcus Karmanolis (Wellington) overcame a classy Men's U20 field to lift the championship title for this grade

An untroubled Rosa Flanagan (Canterbury) is shadowed by Gabrielle Gray (Canterbury) in the early part of the Women's U20 race. Flanagan ran clear to win with a margin of 54s over Gray

Samuel Mackay-Wright (Tasman) posted a stunning win in a big Men's U18 field, which included a team of 7 from Southland  . 

Kelsey Forman (Wellington) showed her class by trouncing a competitive Women's U18 field to win the national title. 

Mel Aitken (Otago) won the Masters Women's race with daylight between her and the next competitor.

Jono McKee (Auckland) ran an impressive race to win the 35-39 Masters Men title. He would have  done well in the Senior Men's 12k race

William Wallace (Tasman)  - not looking well and close to collapse. A heart-wrenching sight with shades of an exhausted/dehydrated Craig Barrett at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia.

2015 Children’s XC Series Race 3 Memorial Park, Petone Sun 26 July

Individual Results
Team Results

 

Understandably there were lots of kids and accompanying parents at Sunday’s event.

The event seems to be going from strength to strength no doubt due to the sustained marketing undertaken by Athletics Wellington targeted at children’s and youth grades.

Interestingly Athletics New Zealand membership figures for 2014/15 reveal that children aged up to 14 make up 67% of total ANZ membership. That’s roughly 13,460 kids out of total membership of 20,035.

The next biggest membership group are master’s men and women claiming around 8% of overall membership.

But the surprise is that competitive men and women in the open grade (20-39) only make up 3% of total ANZ membership. Given this imbalance cross the grades it would not be that radical to suggest that athletics in NZ is dominated by kids and oldies (with all due respect for age).

2015 Wellington XC Champ Races Waikanae 18 Jul

Results

Dominion Post race Report

It looks like we were lucky with the rain at Waikanae which stayed away for the majority of races. I suspect that weather related traffic delays prevented some people from getting to at least the first race if not others.  School holidays and the prospect of less than ideal conditions may have also impact on numbers which seemed lower than usual.

In the first race, a fit Michael Wray (Scottish) ran a well-judged race to easily head off any opposition to clock 31.11 for the win, a just reward for all the hard work he has put in over the season. No doubt he will be a serious medal prospect at the National XC Champs in Christchurch in a few weeks.  Second home was Todd Stevens (Scottish) in 31.50 while Simon Keller (Scottish) hit the line 8 seconds behind to claim 3^rd place.

In the Senior Women’s race Nicole Mitchell (Scottish) ran solo to be clear by over 2 minutes at the finish line. Second on the come-back trail was Sarah Gardner (Trentham) with Olympics’ Lizzie Bunckenburg 3^rd..

In race 2 Renae Creser (Kapiti) clocked 26.33 for fastest Masters Woman (W35) while Vicky Humphries (W50) from WHAC posted the 2^nd fastest time of 27.06.  

In the Men’s U18 event Stefan Przhchodzko (Kapiti) broke away from the pack early and steadily increased his lead to win in 21.13.  Seamus Lane (Olympic) ran a well-judged race to pick up 2^nd in 22.02 overtaking early pacemaker Joel Carman (Hutt Valley) who finished 9 seconds later for 3^rd.

Michaela Walker (Olympic) outpaced a small field in the Women’s U18 grade winning in a time of 17.10.  Jayme Maxwell (Hutt Valley) was 2^nd in 18.08 with Kezia Smith (Olympic) 3^rd in 19.15.

In the main Senior Men’s race a leading pack of 7 stayed close together for the first couple of laps before Tim Hodge (Scottish) put down the hammer and moved slowly away from a chasing Evan Cooper (Scottish) and Ryan McAlister (WHAC).  Basically this was the order of the top 3 finishers.  Overall there were 29 finishers in the SM race which makes you wonder whether this grade is heading for extinction within the sport.

When you consider that in 2014/15 20,035 were registered with Athletics New Zealand had but this number only included 351 competitive Senior Men. Senior Women had even less members with a paltry 223. The only grades with smaller numbers were Men U20 (153) and Women (103). If we are not careful participation in athletics will be limited to masters and kids.

Race 1: Masters Men, Open Women

Race: 2: Women U18 & U20, Masters Women, Men U18 

Race 3: Open Men, Men U20