Athletics New Zealand Media Release - Weekly Roundup

New Zealand Half Marathon Championship
Matt Smith of Christchurch won the New Zealand half marathon title with the women’s title going to Otago’s Shireen Crumpton, held in Auckland yesterday.

Smith, from England, was recently granted New Zealand citizenship.
“It was a double today, I am a Kiwi and it is my first New Zealand championship title,” said Smith.
Smith had a great battle with Dale Warrander breaking clear with four kilometres to go. He recorded a time of 1h 6m 19s, 11 seconds ahead of Warrander.
“It was a good race with Dale, he’s such a good competitor and you know when his name is on the start list you are going to be in a battle,” said Smith.
Warrander said it was disappointing having to negotiate through the marathon field, which had started at an earlier time, at a crucial part of the race.
“I led a lot over the first 10km, but I wasn’t pushing it too hard, sort of holding back because I knew that Matt’s a tough customer. I still backed myself with a k to go to match it with him as there is a bit of speed in the legs when I need to bring it out.
“However having to work through all the marathon crowd was quite hard and I just had a slight lapse in concentration coming under the bridge and Matt made a move and got away. I got it back together re-gathered myself and was able to pull him in a little bit, but it wasn’t enough,” said Warrander after his first defeat in the event in seven years of racing either the half or full marathon.
Sam Dobson was third in 1h 9m 18s.
Crumpton led throughout finishing in 1h 15m 59s. Track specialist Nikki Hamblin, in her half marathon debut, ran an impressive 1h 16m 38s for second with Maria Bentley of Palmerston North taking the bronze in 1h 20m.
It was an emotional run for Crumpton coming exactly a year after the death of her husband who had suffered from cancer.
“I’m glad I had a good lead, I wouldn’t have wanted a sprint finish with Nikki,” said Crumpton.
Canterbury runners won the quarter marathon races, Brett Tingay clocking in at 32m 14s and his partner Fiona Crombie at 37m 28s in the women.

Rowan Hooper was untroubled in claiming the Auckland marathon in a modest time of 2h 31m 46s.
The 31 year old, who celebrated his birthday on Saturday, was gifted the adidas sponsored race after his training companion Glynn Hadley and Japanese visitor Tomotaka Nakayama dropped off the pace at 22km.
These three dominated the front running from the start in Devonport and across the harbour bridge. A slight mix up in direction at the end of Westhaven Marina did not deter the trio and they were soon back on track around Tank Farm.
“It’s great, one of the great things running in New Zealand is when you start in a race, you have a chance of winning it. It’s always nice to win – especially when you get a big crowd like this and a huge atmosphere, it’s just great,” said Hooper.
Hooper makes no apology for coming from Christchurch and cleaning up an Auckland event.
“It’s nice with the North Island South Island rivalry and great to come up here and do a bit of damage.
“I can now focus on some races in Europe over the next couple of months, I want to get back into full training pretty quickly so I didn’t want to go out too hard,” said Hooper.
South Island runners outscored their Northern counterparts in a number of the races, with Hooper’s flat mate Hadley finishing second in 2h 35m.
Hadley said that he found the final five kilometres particularly tough however the first half and running over the harbour bridge made up for it.
“Running over that bridge was just brilliant, just amazing to see the views of the harbour and that,” he said.
“I was in no doubt that Rowan would win, but I was a little bit surprised when the Japanese runner dropped off me at the 25km mark, I was looking forward to some company for the last half, but never mind I got there,” said Hadley.
Gavin Stevens continued to excel over the marathon distance, the 53 year old finishing third in 2h 37m 20s.
Jess Ruthe triumphed, after a difficult year, in the women’s marathon. Running the entire way with her husband Ben, last year’s marathon winner, Ruthe captured the women’s honours in 2h 49m 55s.
The pair ran at a consistent pace throughout. Lara Phillips took an early led and set the pace through to the bridge. Coming off the bridge Ruthe overtook Phillips to take control.
Melissa Norris steamed into second at 26km only to be passed by Phillips at 38km. Phillips went on to take second in 2h 54m 57s one minute ahead of Norris.
Ruthe said that she enjoyed the race.
“It was hard but a really nice long training run with the husband. It was a beautiful morning for it - slight breeze, so we stayed back from going out too fast so we could enjoy it,” said Ruthe.
Ben Ruthe said coming in with Jess was so much better than his win last year.
“The amount she has come through in the last six months and to see her run like that was just brilliant. It was emotional actually that last couple of k’s knowing how hard she’s worked – it was beautiful,” said Ben.
Phillips, originally entered in the half marathon, opted for the longer distance on Friday.
“I couldn’t help myself from wanting to do the marathon. Today was just a good solid training run and I look forward to getting down to 2h 40m again when I’m fitter,” said Phillips.

Mt Smart Stadium
Promising New Zealand junior middle distance runner Nathan Barrett travelled up from Wellington for his opening track race of the season.
The national M16 1500m champion, who is coached by Auckland’s John Bowden, won the 1500m in 4m 8.42s.
Barrett, who represented the country at the world youth championships in Italy in July, said he is looking forward to the New Zealand secondary schools championships in Timaru early next month.
Isaac Tatoa for the second week blitzed the 100m sprint field, although he had earlier in the afternoon faced a disqualification after breaking at the start of the 60m.
Tatoa recorded a time of 10.79s (+2.1) in the 100m.
“My coach Paul Lothian has been pushing me a lot and it’s paid off, so I’m happy,” said Tatoa.
In his last season in the junior M19 ranks Tatoa wants to make the most of it before turning senior.
“The immediate goal is to get my 100m time down to 10.5s before Christmas,” he added.
Tauranga’s Joseph Millar won the 60m in 7.00s (+5.5) and was second in the 100m in 11.01s.
Damian Smuts won the field events throwing double with distances of 14.72m in the shot put and 43.99m in the discus.
National W16 heptathlon champion Portia Bing was over the 100m hurdles in 14.89s (+1.9) and also won the high jump clearing 1.68m.

HASTINGS
League Meeting
Cool conditions with a strong head wind for the sprinters.
Highlights were:
Franco Patu M16 javelin with a throw of 60.45m, Ryan Tinkle M19 shot put 14.77m, discus 44.09m and hammer 55.21m, Leesa Lealaisalanoa W16 shot put 11.46m and discus 43.64m. Emma Sutherland W19 high jump 1.60m and triple jump 10.31m (-0.6), Daniel Fake M19 high jump 2.00m, Ryan Rosseli SM long jump 7.17m (+3.4) and triple jump 13.96m (-0.1), in the long jump Andy Kruy M19 6.99m (+1.7), Uriah O’Connor M16 6.34m (+4.2), Stacey Gunn W16 5.27m (+0.2) and Ellie-Grace Sinclair W14 5.13m (-0.2). Eric Speakman M19 5000m 15m 50.27s and in the 3000m Olivia Burne W19 in 10m 1.69s and Matt Baxter M16 in 9m 24.94s. In the sprints Yarrid Rossario M16 100m in 11.74s (-4.4) and 23.14s 200m. Zac Topping M19 100m 11.40s (-4.4), Scott Burch M19 200m in 22.90s and 400m in 49.37s. Emma Blake W16 200m in 26.55s and Sarah Hosegood SW 200m in 26.96s.

WELLINGTON
Richard Thomson, who won the national shot put title in 1996, was out to 13.82m in the shot put.

NELSON
Saxton Field
Alex Jordan 60m in 7.0s, 100m in 10.8s, 145m 15.9s, all wind assisted.

CHRISTCHURCH
Hannah Newbould ran under the entry standard of 9m 35s for the 3000m for the world junior championships in Canada next July. Running in a combined race Newbould W18 recorded 9m 29.05s. Margot Gibson W15 ran 10m 16.26s.
David Ambler won the 100m in 10.72s (NWI) and the 400m in 49.51s. Tim Jones won the 200m in 22.68s (-0.7). Kathryn Stuart (15) recorded 12.94s (-0.8) over 100m and 26.19s (-1.1) over 200m. Angela Smit won the 800m in 2m 14.42s. Kelsey Berryman won the 300m hurdles in 45.67s. Daniel Lord M18 came through the 2000m walk in 8m 29.74s.

DUNEDIN
Rebekah Greene again highlighted the Athletics Otago meeting at the Caledonian Track further reducing her Otago 15, 16, 17 1500m record to 4m 29.76s. The New Zealand W16 1500m record is 4m 21.18s set by Sue Bruce in Christchurch in 1981. Greene also won the W16 400m in 58.78s. Anna-Lisa Uttley set an Otago 16, 17, 18, 19 5000m record of 17m 16.13s. Anna Smythe, national 200m champion in 2005, won the senior 100m in 11.87s (+2.1). Todd Johnston won the M19 200m in 22.91s (-0.9) while Matthew Robinson was first in the M19 400m in 48.01s beating Toby Flett 49.61s. Daniel O’Shea won the senior 400m in 48.18s. William Scorgie recorded 15m 50.80s in the M19 5000m while Glen Ferguson ran an impressive 15m 43.54s 5000m in the masters M45. Glen Ballam M19 and Callan Moody SM both ran 3m 58.51s in the 1500m. Greer Alsop was out to 5.16m (+1.2) in the W15 long jump. Marshall Hall won the SM discus with 45.38m while in the M19 William Hubber won the discus with 40.64m and the hammer with 46.59m.

SELECTION of RESULTS from the STATES
Edwin Henshaw was the first non-African to finish in the 32nd annual Tulsa 15km road race. Henshaw finished sixth in 45m 45s, just over a minute and a half behind the winner Alene Reta from New York. The course was flat for the first 8km with hill sections over the second half. Henshaw was pleased with his time of 29m 54s through the 10km.
Rochelle Sceats was fifth in the women’s 6km cross country race at the CAA championships in New Market Virginia. Sceats ran 21m 2s. Laura Sinclair was 10th in 21m 40s.