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| NZ Road Relay Champs |
| 1 October, 2005 |
| Takahe to Akaroa, Christchurch |
| The two Napier Harrier Club teams performed with distinction at the 29th New Zealand Road Relay Championships (66th Takahe-Akaroa Relay) on Saturday. The Senior men C Grade team repeated last year's result with another fourth place finish, while the Junior men's team rewarded expectations with a most satisfying sixth placing.The two Napier Harrier Club teams performed with distinction at the 29th New Zealand Road Relay Championships(66th Takahe-Akaroa Relay) on Saturday. The Senior men C Grade team repeated last year's result with another fourth place finish, while the Junior mens team rewarded expectations with a most satisfying sixth placing. In the 40.7km Junior Mens race from Allandale to Cooptown, Stefan Smith (16.08) got the Napier squad off to good start to lie sixth at the first changeover and just 36 sec down on the leading team. Fifteen year old Michael Sullivan (21.07) produced a powerful performance, flourishing on the 190m climb up Geddies Pass. He was rewarded with the seventh fastest lap and crossed only 4 seconds down on the fourth team. Daniel Wallis ran the long 10km leg where every team produced their top athlete. Wallis (34.04) recorded the seventh fastest time and early in his run had moved the team into fifth. Unfortunately Wallis had no answer when NZ dual M19 champion Zane Robertson (31.08) cruised by at the 6km mark. At the changeover Napier were 1.18 down on fifth place but 1.29 clear of the chasers. Ryan Woolley (30.34) continued his recent awesome form with another sublime effort over the 9.1km fourth leg. Woolley registered the fifth fastest lap amongst the juniors. As Wellington Harriers had received a 30 second penalty at the changeover, on paper Napier were now 20 seconds ahead in fifth place, although sixth on the road. Steven Smith (23.37) had an excellent run along the shores of Lake Forsyth. On paper Napier were still ahead of Wellington by 13 seconds at the last changeover. Cameron Poole-Smith who only turned fifteen, two days prior to the event, produced a supreme run on the final 4.1km leg. Poole-Smith (14.18) ran the fourth fastest lap, unfortunately Wellington Harriers were to be 51 seconds quicker. Wesley (2.13.42) won going away, from Wellington Scottish (2.15.08) with Auckland City another minute and 26 sec away. Hamilton Hawks (2.18.36) were fourth, while Wellington Harriers with their controversial 30 sec penalty finished at 2.19.12, with Napier just 36 seconds away. There was a huge grap of almost five minutes to the next teams. This became exaggerated when Pakuranga and North Canterbury were disqualified for breechs of the racing rules and an Ariki runner failed to finish a leg and they thus forfeited a finishing position. Eventually Valleys United were credited with seventh placing in the junior contest, a massive seven minutes 39 seconds behind Napier. Although only lying seventh in a field of 33 C Grade teams at the end of the challenging first leg, Eric Phimister (36.44) recorded the third fastest M50+ time for the day. Although three minutes down on leaders New Brighton, Phimister had the team only 12 seconds away from fifth place. Craig Mathers quickly gobbled up three runners and on the top of Geddies Pass caught the Port Hills runner. At the changeover Olympic lead by a minute from New Brighton, and thanks to Mathers' (39.17) storming run, Napier were only another 72 seconds away. Trevor Fulton (39.48) quickly conceded a place to Matt Harris (Port Hills) who ran 34.40 to take his team from fourth to a 3� minute lead. Olympic held out New Brighton while Fulton closed the gap to 40 seconds. Now it was Wesley's turn to play their trump card Ian Sussex (34.42). They catapulted from fifth place to a 63 sec lead. Port Hills were second ahead of Olympic, while a solid effort from Frank Busch (37.35) had Napier only 34 seconds away. On the long 11.1km leg into Cooptown, the Port Hills challenge disintegrated but Craig Eustace (44.04) had no answer to the sterling runs from Potter (Wesley) and Widdup (New Brighton). Wesley established a five minute lead, with New Brighton just 29 sec up on Olympic, while Napier were now languishing two minutes 52 sec away. Nathan Clark-Little (33.31) produced a tremendous effort up the 475m climb to Hilltop, recording the 22nd fastest time for a senior man. Wesley's lead was cut to 2.05, with now only 4 sec separating New Brighton and Olympic, but Napier had lost more ground on them, now 3� minutes. On the hellraising descent into Duvauchelle, first Olympic, then New Brighton swept past Wesley. Olympic handed over to their last runner with a 41 sec lead, with an identical gap to Wesley. John Craven (35.22) was fifth fastest M50+ on the downhill but Napier remained over 3� minutes down in fourth position. Alan Jackson (40.43) managed to gain some ground towards the end of the demanding leg into Akaroa, but the deficite was too great. After 77.4kms, Olympic (5.00.05) had a comfortable three minute 13 sec win over New Brighton, with gaps of 1.47 to Wesley and another 1.59 to Napier (5.07.04). They in turn were over five minutes ahead of the late charging Hill City Harriers. The authorization and implication of the transport management plan cost over $12,000 for this year's event. This probably rings the death-nell for this particilar icon of the running culture of New Zealand. |
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