Time-to-Run - News - Rotorua Marathon, Nelson half, Sylvia Potts honoured and overseas news

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Rotorua Marathon, Nelson half, Sylvia Potts honoured and overseas news

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Rotorua Marathon, Nelson half, Sylvia Potts honoured and overseas news

In what he described as the best race of his life Joe Piggin won the New Zealand marathon title held in conjunction with the 44th annual running of the Lion Foundation Rotorua Marathon.

Rotorua Marathon, Nelson half, Sylvia Potts honoured and overseas news

ROTORUA
In what he described as the best race of his life Joe Piggin won the New Zealand marathon title held in conjunction with the 44th annual running of the Lion Foundation Rotorua Marathon.
"I loved every moment of it, I'm absolutely stoked. I've had a great build up for this race on the toughest of training regimes with Scott Winton," said Piggin.
Piggin came from behind to pass Craig Kirkwood, who had led from the start, at the 35.5km mark.
Piggin, third in 2005 in 2h 28m 39s, went on to record 2h 27m 43s, a minute ahead of Kirkwood.
Kirkwood said that he was disappointed he didn't get the win.
"I didn't have any answer when he went past me, I was just hanging on. I got a real shock when I hit that wind at 25km, said Kirkwood.
Southland farmer Chris Dagg was third in 2h 29m 28s.
"I was a wee bit marginal at 32km, but the incentive to finish third kept me plugging away," said Dagg.
Hanny Allston from Hobart Tasmania was running in memory of her coach who died last week, in winning the New Zealand women's marathon title.
The 22 year old now resident in Auckland was spurred on over the final 10km, by his memory.
"I couldn't be there for the funeral service so I only decided this week to run here in Rotorua for him."
"He was there when I ran my first marathon and I felt him there again urging me on," added Allston.
Allston was locked in a two way battle with three times previous winner 42 year old Nyla Carroll.
Nature called for Allston at 24km and she lost about 35 seconds before rejoining the race and quickly taking up the front running again.
They were through the 30km mark in 2h 42m marathon pace, before hitting the icy cold head wind.
Carroll slowed and Allston went on to record 2h 43m 41s, over three minutes ahead of Carroll.
Carroll said that she has never felt so cold in a race.
"I was running getting colder and colder. It was atrocious conditions," said Carroll.
Naoko Tsuchiya of Japan was third in 2h 51m 30s.
David Sim of North Harbour won the walking section in 4h 16m 56s, with Natasha Lowl of New Plymouth winning the women's walk in 4h 40m 2s.
Clasina van der Veeken of Whangarei set the only record taking 16 minutes off her own women's 75 plus age group record with her time of 5h 25m 6s.
Firefighter Brian Halford, who survived the fire blast that ripped through the Icepak Coolstore in Tamahere on April 5, completed the marathon walk in 6h 48m 49s. Halford was accompanied on the walk by his Hamilton City Hawks athletic club mate, Olympian walker Craig Barrett. A keen runner Halford had entered and intended running the marathon before the explosion, but was determined to still take part and complete the distance as a walker.

NELSON
Phil Costley sliced nearly seven minutes off the Nelson Shoe Clinic half marathon course record on Sunday with his winning performance of 1h 7m 35s.
Costley (38) was five minutes ahead of Austria's Bruno Schumi. Simon Mardon was third in 1h 12m 44s.
Paula Canning of Appleby ran 1h 26m 11s to break her own women's course record. Canning won the masters women 35 plus age group, while Karen Goodger was the first senior women in 1h 38m 7s.
Stephen Farquhar won the half marathon walk in a record 1h 54m 43s.

DUNEDIN
Canterbury University won the men and Hill City the women at the Lovelock relays at the University Oval in Dunedin on Saturday.
The University team of Gus Taylor 4m 17s, Jake Coom 4m 7s, Kim Hogarth 4m 7s, Andrew Davidson 4m 13s, Matt Harris 4m 3s and Dallas Bowden 4m 4s won the 6 x 1500m event in 24m 51s. Ariki, anchored by Matt Lambert in 4m 7s were second in 25m 20s.
Hill City team of Courtney Quirin 4m 54s, Cindy Lowe 5m 47s, Romania Sallis 5m 35s and Rachel Kingswood 4m 53s won the women's 4 x 1500m in 21m 9s. Otago University led off by Maddie Munro in 5m 1s were second in 21m 14s.

DUNEDIN
The late Sylvia Potts, 1968 Mexico Olympian, and representative at the 1970 Edinburgh and 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games was one of five admitted to the Sports Wall of Fame at the School of Physical Education at Dunedin over the weekend. Potts was also a coach at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games and a sport manager at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games. Potts was the final baton runner carrying the Queen's message into the stadium at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games. It was a way of noting Potts' bravery at the 1970 Commonwealth Games when she stumbled just short of victory in the 1500m.
Potts received a New Zealand Royal Honour along with her husband Allan in the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours, both receiving a ONZM.
Potts was New Zealand 440 yards champion in 1967 and 1969 and 880 yards champion in 1969. In 1970 Potts won the 400m and 800m and cross country titles.
An inductee to the Wall of Fame must have graduated from the University of Otago with a diploma or degree awarded through the School of Physical Education, demonstrated outstanding achievement in their field of endeavour and contributed to the advancement of physical education through high impact and sustained achievements in their chosen field.
Thousands of physical education students have passed through the hallways of the School and to be singled out, as Sylvia Potts has, as one of the best is truly an honour that will serve as an inspiration for generations to come.
Allan Potts, life member and past president of Athletics New Zealand, accepted the award on her behalf.

AUSTIN - TEXAS
Sean Wade won the US Masters 10km championship on 26 April. The 42 year old from Houston ran a time of 31m 15s.

YORKSHIRE - ENGLAND
Anna Frost finished fourth in the WMRA world long distance mountain running challenge on 26 April. Frost completed the three peaks 37.4km challenge in 3h 26m 13s, 12 minutes behind the winner, 2007 world trophy champion Anna Pichrtova of Czech Republic. The course included a 1608m of ascent and descent.
The mountain running challenge completed four weeks of running around the world for Frost. She started with running and skiing on the Italian/Austrian boarder, followed by five days running on Toberua Island Fiji and ten days in New Zealand which included finishing second in the NZ mountain running championship race.

BERKELEY - CALIFORNIA
Jessica Penney competing for Illinois took part in three events at the Brutus Hamilton Invitational meeting at the University of California in Berkeley. Penney was second in the long jump 6.03m (-1.2), fifth in the B 200m in 24.95s (+0.6) and 16th in the 100m hurdles in 14.57s (+1.1).

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