The cream of New Zealand’s cross country runners will feature in the national championships at Waikanae Park on Saturday 7 August. The Kāpiti Harrier and Multisport Club is hosting the event for the second time in three years. 437 athletes will take part in 12 events ranging from Boys and Girls 12 and under through to Masters Men 75 to 79. There is also a free entry 1 km race for children 10 and under at 12.00 and participants just have to turn up on the day. President Ross Twyford notes that this has been a very busy winter for the club as Saturday’s event will be the sixth regional or national cross country we have organised at Waikanae Park over the last three months.
The programme begins with the Masters Men event over 8 km at 10.00 and ends with the Senior Men racing over 12 km at 3.05. Event Manager Peter Ellis says: It’s great to see eighteen Kāpiti runners competing. Of these the best prospects for a top ten finish lie with Holly White in the Girls 12 and Tim Stewart in the Boys 19. Veteran woman Suzi Richards will also be competitive in the Senior Woman’s race. Kāpiti resident, Hamish Carson who runs for Scottish, was second in the recent Wellington Cross Country and could also be a top ten finisher.
The Senior Men’s race is likely to be hotly contested by Alex Parlane (Auckland), Dougal Thorburn (Otago), Bevan Stevens (Otago), Sean Krawitz (Australian based Kiwi), and evergreen Canterbury runner Phil Costley. In the Senior Women’s race Rachel Kingsford from Otago is probably the favourite, however she should be pushed hard by Fiona Crombie (Canterbury), Shireen Crumpton (Otago), Rachael Kingstone (Auckland), and Tina Harris, who recently won the Wellington Championships on the same course. The under 19 Boys race should be a formality for Hamilton’s Aaron Pulford. He recently broke the NZ junior track record for 10 000m coming 5th in the World Junior Championships. His closest rivals are likely to be Cameron Graves (Auckland) and Wellington’s Ryan McAlister. Annika Pfitzinger (Auckland), will be a front runner in the Girls under 19 race, but will get strong competition from Wellington champion Nicole Mitchell and the well performed Shauna Pali from Otago.
The challenging Waikanae Park course has been used for a number of cross country events in recent years and gained high praise from athletes competing in the 2008 national event. After an early flat section the course travels over some undulating paths through the trees and then descends into the pony paddocks where the athletes encounter a horse jump, winding tree-lined tracks and a short, steep climb. From here the runners cross more undulating terrain to the final jump over a gate and then it’s down the hill for a flat, fast 150 metres on the last lap to the finish.
Food and refreshments provided by local groups and businesses will be available at the venue. Supporters and the general public are very welcome to watch the nation’s best on this spectator friendly course for what promises to be an exciting day of cross country racing.
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