Arlidge Banks Golden Double With Relay Success

Anneke Arlidge capped a perfect weekend by today securing the inaugural senior New Zealand Cross Country Relay Championship crown as part of the victorious North Harbour Bays quartet to add to the senior women’s title she snared on Saturday.

On another gorgeous day at Spa Thermal Park the action was fast and furious in the mixed team relays as a four-strong team (two men, two women) each tackled a testing 2km loop at the iconic Taupo venue.

The marquee senior race served up some exhilarating action with the Auckland-based North Harbour Bays proving the cross country kings and queens with an emphatic victory.

On leg one Matt Arnold (North Harbour Bays) opened up a narrow one-second lead for the Auckland team from Wellington Harriers, clocking a slick 5:54 around the 2km course. That lead was extended by Brigid Dennehy on lap two before Ryan Williams maintained an advantage for the North Shore-based team on the penultimate leg.

Running the anchor leg, Arlidge, feeling the exertions of yesterday’s thrilling gold medal success in the senior women’s race, struggled to find her usual rhythm on the early part of the run. However, despite feeling increased pressure from Athletics Tauranga U20 athlete Lulu Johnson she managed to find better form in the final 1km to ensure gold would be pocketed in a cumulative time of 26:01.

Wellington Harriers, anchored by senior women’s bronze medallist Sarah Drought, who produced the fastest women’s leg of the day with a sizzling 6:38, – finished 21 seconds down on North Harbour Bays in silver. Feilding Moa, who overall enjoyed an excellent day, snared bronze in 26:27.

An elated Arlidge said: “It was an awesome weekend, I loved it.

“After running 10km the previous day you don’t really know what to expect running the next day and it was pretty rough.

“It felt strange going that fast at the start, I was breathing really heavy and my supporters are very vocal, so I was aware the under-20 athlete was closing in on me.

“But I felt after I warmed up it started to feel better. I really enjoy cross country relays. I did the World Cross (earlier this year), it is heaps of fun. It was a great way to finish off the weekend with the whole team.”

Athletics Tauranga revealed their impressive strength in depth by securing both the Under-20 and Under-18 titles.

In the former event the four-strong team of Callum Murray, Charo Heijnen, Matt Hill and Lulu Johnson produced an outstanding time of 26:14 to not only secure gold but the second fastest overall time of the day. Auckland City Athletics claimed silver in 27:32.

The awesome foursome of George Wyllie, Ella Smart, Elliott Pugh and Maia Poutawera reigned supreme in the under-18 event for Athletics Tauranga. Clocking a combined time of 26:29 the team finished eight second clear of Olympic Harriers in silver with Feilding Moa snagging bronze in 27:11.

A quality Pakuranga AC quartet, which included national boys under-16 individual winner Ben Oxford, proved too strong for allcomers as the foursome – which also included Imogen Barlow, the girls U16 silver medallist, Christian Geldenhuys and Morgan Day claimed an emphatic gold medal success.

The Auckland-based team dominated from the outset and took gold in a cumulative time of 27:22. Athletics Tauranga boasting a gifted group of young athletes grabbed silver (27:33) with Trentham United Harriers rounding out the podium (28:40).

Lisa Cross completed her gruelling schedule by winning a second gold of the weekend as part of the triumphant TTT Runners in the masters +35 grade. Cross, who yesterday won masters 40-44 gold and finished fifth in the senior women’s race, teamed up with James Kueghler, Pip Tuckey and Alan Houghton to strike gold in 28:55. Wellington Scottish secured silver in 29:23 with Whanganui Harriers completing the podium in 29:54.

Wellington Scottish finished one place higher in the masters +50 race as the team of Jim Jones, Anne Hare, Peter Stevens and Heather Walker finished top of the podium, covering the 8km total distance in 31:45.

Olympic Harriers won silver in 33:16 to ensure a one-two for the capital with Lake City (33:42) in bronze.

The Egmont Athletics quartet of Des Phillips, Joy Baker, Alan Jones, Karen Gillum-Green took out the masters 65+ title in 44:51.

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