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| Roger Robinson |
So the last Tuesday night race for the 2020/21 season is done and dusted. Do you think Daryl will be happy or sad?
A big field as usual and may I suggest the average numbers turning up each Tuesday at Mac’s Brewbar would be the highest of any weekly 5km race in NZ. Anybody anybody?
There were a few faces missing tonight, mainly because some of those who might be expected to line up had raced hard over the weekend and may have wanted to rest up.
But that does not mean to say there weren’t any stars present because Roger Robinson was present making a rare appearance although I suspect he may not have been recognised by many.
On the performance side, there were copious PB’s and SB’s due hopefully due to improved racing fitness and good moderate and calm conditions.
Hiro Tanimoto stiffed the opposition to get across the finish line first in a time of 15.08. This was a PB for Hiro (and 1 second off the 15.07 PB that Dan Jones did last week on this course),
But there is more, and as a rare coincidence, Hiro’s 15.08 is also the same time he did on Saturday at Newtown Park to win the 2021 Men’s 5000m championship title.
Now that is something.
I was just about right and with Malcolm Hodge deploying his trademark explosive start I could just as easily have been 100% right.
But Hodge can fade badly in races and his 15.44 is well short of what he is capable of. In mitigation, though Malcolm did win the Porirua Grand Traverse half marathon over the weekend and may well have had some of the edge taken off him in tonight’s 5km. Only Malcolm knows.
I won’t mention that in the Porirua race his brother Tim Hodge ran in third just 5 minutes shy of Malcolm and that must be a worry for the latter.
Coming home in 3rd place (as predicted) was Ryan Hunt and yes he finally broke the 16-minute barrier with a 15.50 and of course scored a PB. Well done Ryan and I know I might sound like a cracked record when I say you are definitely someone to watch over the winter.
For the women, Sarah Riceman came in first in 18.47. This was nowhere near her best on this course, but then again she did the track 5000m race on Saturday at Newtown Park clocking in at 18.44.
So maybe tonight Sarah was choosing not wanting to push it too hard ut on the other hand she was not out for a stroll.
In 2nd place was Ali Campbell in 19.23. Not her best time but not her worst either. And she did race the 5000m at Newtown Park on Saturday as well, so there is still scope for getting more consistent sub-19 minute performances on this course, provided she keeps up the training and tests herself in races over the winter.
Emma Bassett did produce a PB of 20.02 to won bronze as well. She is clearly on the up and up and right on the cusp of breaking 20 minutes.
So fingers crossed for an injury-free winter Emma and let’s see what the 21/22 waterfront season will bring.
Apart from those who were in the top 3 in both the men’s and women’s grade, there were a number of others who had busy racing weekends preceding tonight's race/ This would include Fiona Hayvice, Walter Sommerville, Kath Littler, Emily Solberg, Matyas James to name a few.
Max Poland who seemed to have a leisurely time of it had raced earlier in the day at Newtown Park winning the 2000m Intermediate Boys steeplechase title at the Regional Secondary Schools champs. He also got 3rd in the 1500m race representing St Pats Silverstream as well and often as not there is not much of a rest gap between races.
No doubt he is looking forward to further battles with Josh Jordan of whom there is still no sign.
