Small but competive fields contested the club cross country championships held at Stranraer Farm, Okaramio on Saturday afternoon. Early heavy fog cleared to make way for blue sky. The course was in prestine condition with the usual one or two boggy patches and a small amount of water in the creek.
Junior titles went the way of Angus Kopua, Amber Bendell, Hunter Bendell, Lucy Bendell and Sophia Bendell. Joanne Farrell, Margaret Hazelwood and Rab Rodger claimed back-to-back titles in their resepective veteran grades.
John Kennedy was a comfortable winner in the veteran mens race but the actual silverware went the way of Peter Mann by virtue that both John and runner-up Phillip Sim weren’t registered club members.
Other winners included Kiri Johnson, Andrew Curnow and Kay Leach.
Just under four thousand seven hundred competitors started the Christchurch Airport Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k. At the elite level the half-marathon had been billed as too close to call and the spectators were not disappointed as Hamish Carson of Wellington just edged out national 3000m champion Hugo Beamish, the first four senior men all finishing within ten seconds. Fourty-nine year old Sally Gibbs showed that age is no barrier for her as she was the first women home in 1:17:02 breaking Bernie Portenski’s 13 year age grade course record. Favourites Phil Costley and Liza Hunter-Galven won their respective marathon events.
An improved course and mild temperatures made for ideal running conditions and a large Marlborough contingent didn’t disappoint competing strongly in all running and walking events.