Dom Post Report
Full Results
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| This is Robert Kitchin's photo (Dom Post) showing Nick Horspool (10k) heading back along Cobham Drive toward Kilbirnie Park. Behind him are Patrick McKenna and Ben Twyman 1st and 2nd in the half marathon. |
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| Ben Twyman after turning from Evans Bay parade into Cobham Drive. He is wearing Samantha Brown's number. |
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| Grant Robertson |
It’s always hard to know before an event what kind of
performances will be produced in terms of times.
Today though I had predicted some quick times
based on the forecast that the wind would drop from the strong winds
experienced on Saturday. But I don’t think it happened.
It was clear from the
faces of the exhausted runners in the half in particular and 10k that the blustery
winds and 20 degree heat had knocked them around.
It was a close finish in the half marathon. There was a small
group intact as they hit Cobham Drive but this obviously broke up as the race
progressed.
Who knows what happened on the homeward journey but Rob Kitchen’s
photo above shows Patrick McKenna only slightly ahead of Ben Twyman on the East to West Cobham Drive section.
But at the
finish line there was only 5 seconds in it with McKenna winning in 76.50.
Interestingly his time last year in 81.7 for 22nd place so he has made a huge improvement.
On the other hand Ben may be disappointed with his 76.55 after
his 76.28 last year.
Half Marathon
Men
1 Patrick McKenna
76.50
2 Ben Twyman
76.55
3 Alisdair
Saunders 77.35
Women
1 Hannah
Oldroyd 82.04
2 Melissa
Black 86.52
3 Esther
George 88.25
Prior to today I thought that a sub-31 minute 10km was a
possibility given the right conditions.
But I don’t think the weather gods were
kind with the wind and temperature.
No matter the conditions Nick Horspool was always going to be
the favourite to win this race. He got
2nd last year in 33.38 but was always capable of doing better, and today
he did this with his 32.08.
In fact the only chance of an upset would be if
some out-of-town burglar dropped into town to steal the race like one of the Brownlee
brothers - maybe.
Kristian Day was the only runner close to Nick when they came onto Cobham Drive
for the first time. But Kristian must have got dropped at some point as his 2nd
place time of 32.50 suggests he drifted quite badly after I saw them.
In third place was Liam Back from Whanganui (and Inglewood) who at the Cobham Drive drink
station was snapping at the heels of Levente Timar who finished 4th (it was his 3rd race in a week). But the
lanky kid from the river city is no stranger to close racing and fast finishes
being the current Secondary Schools Intermediate Boys XC champion and the holder
of several other athletics titles.
10km
Men
1 Nick Horspool
32.08
2 Kristian
Day 32.50
3 Liam Back 33.23
Women
1 Nicole
Mitchell 36.57
2 Ayesha Shafi
39.03
3 Heather
Walker 40.49
It would be an understatement to say that Isaac Murphy has had
a good year. The WHAC athlete has probably been one of the most consistent and
reliable senior men’s runner the club has at present.
So with a strong northerly at his back he
pulled out a quick 20.21. It’s not a world record by any means but it is close
to what could be expected in this particular road event.
But if I was being honest I would have put my
money on Hiro Tanimoto in first with Isaac 2nd. (you can yell at me later Isaac)
In the end though it all comes
down to who is best on the day and today Isaac got Hiro's scalp.
In 3rd place was Malcolm Hodge
brother to Tim who won the race last year.
The women’s grade winner Sarah Kebbell is another WHAC
member so will be no stranger to what it takes to race and win.
Nor will Jo Doherty the 2nd place getter
who it seems has a competitive background as a triathlete.
6.5km
Men
1 Isaac
Murphy 20.21
2 Hiro Tanimoto
21.01
3 Malcolm
Hodge 21.16
Women
1 Sarah
Kebbell 24.24
2 Jo Doherty
25.56
3 Greta
Woolloff 26.58
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| Nick Horspool and Kristian Day entering Cobham Drive from Evans Bay. |
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