Photos

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Saturday, May 12, 2018

2018 University Relays, QE Park Paekakariki Sat 12 May





Chocolate Walk Results

Kids Races Results

Relay Results (Provisional)



The rain stayed away as forecast but boy the southerly wind change that came through in the early morning was strongly felt in the paddocks and sandhills of QEII.  

The regular chocolate walk kicked off at about 12pm and my bet was that young Daniel Du Toit would have won that easily (with fastest time) as he has done with virtually every other walking race in the last 12 months or so. 

Around that same time as the race walk started about 400 scouts and cubs were chowing down and enjoying themselves after finishing a walk through the tracks of QEII starting at the Paekak end of the park. The reward was rides on the electric tram and a visit to the tram museum.

If you were at the park for the walk races you would have seen yours truly running across the paddock to retrieve a yellow plastic bag that was being blown away toward Raumati.  The bag won which amused Geoff Henry and others who were watching. In my defence I can only say that I have run faster and more elegantly in the past.     

Meanwhile on the paddock the harrier tents were going up and not without a struggle. The wind was nasty and some quick engineering solutions were needed to stop some of them being blown onto SH1. 

The programme started off with the kids under 9's 1.2km scratch race. My observation is that some would have loved while others hated it. I will let you know which is which when the New Zealand Olympic athletics team is named in 15 years time or so. 

The 3 other children’s scratch races did a 3km loop and for the winners and place-getters in each age grade it was a great way to get chocolate. 

A lot of these kids will be candidates for the Children’s XC Series races that was so ably promoted and organised by Jo Murray. The good new is that Jo’s replacement will be starting with Athletics Wellington very soon and I imagine that once this role is taken up things will start to happen to confirm the dates and locations for the 2018 series. 

In the main relay race things got off to a good start for the Scottish Men’s A team with Hamish Carson carving out a big lead before hitting the dunes at the southern end of the course.

Nathan Tse led the charge for WHAC A with the Scottish Masters and Scottish B teams close behind. The rest is a blur.

Some observations:

Good to see Olympian Kate McIIroy back in xc action

Some individuals did more than 1 lap.

Ruby Muir tentatively back from injury to support what I can only describe as the Scottish Women’s Dream Team with Tina, Nicole and Ayesha. Roll on the National Road Relay champs.


















Kids Race Photos














































































































Relay Photos