Results (Preliminary)
Were the numbers down for this year’s Vosseler Shield event?
The weather and underfoot conditions were the best they have been for years, but did people stay away?
For example, in the first race which included the Men U20 grade, I could only count Will Anthony who naturally did his normal thing by winning uncontested.
In the last race of the day, the 2x5km gut buster a few who I would have expected to see competing appeared to be absent Perhaps they were on the sidelines.
Anyway, congratulations to those that did compete as the Vosseler is not for the faint-hearted although the results can surprise when runners with strength and stamina are able to shine over those with speed.
In the 10km race, Dan Jones was all class dominating the field and never challenged for the lead. In certainly can’t have gone unnoticed that he has this uncanny ability to race successfully over virtually any distance and terrain and offhand I can’t think of anyone else currently competing in NZ with this versatility.
Chasing hard on lap one was a solid vanguard which included at least 3 number of Victoria University representatives, and clearly out to upset the apple cart. In fact, there were one or two runners in the first echelon that surprised me by being there, but then this is the Vosseler and if there is going to be any race where hidden talents are revealed then it is this one.
By lap two, the field at the front had thinned out considerably but with one or two flashes of Victoria green still pushing for a decent team finish. In the end, Vic got 4 in the top 14 finishers which must be one of its best showings for years.
And what about Dan Nixon and Dan Clendon who ran home 2 and 3rd for WHAC in support of Nathan Tse their top finisher. I wouldn’t have picked that result in any pre-race assessment but again the Vosseler does produce some interesting outcomes.
For Scottish, Ruby Muir was one of only a couple of women to take on the 10km distance. I can see why though as this type of terrain and distance perfectly suits her penchance for off-road endurance running. And if the truth is known she could probably have gone an extra lap or two.
Finally A big should out to Melissa Moon and MariaWilliams for completing the 5km loop – this must have been especially tricky given the toughness of the terrain and rough underfoot conditions. A remarkable effort indeed.
Race 5 Photos SM, MM35 & 50 Mon Champ SW 10km
Race 3 & 4 Photos Girls and Boys U12 & U14 (these were run as separate races) 1.6km
Race 2 WU20, WU18, GU16. MU18, BU16 3.5Km
Race 1 Photos SW, MW 35, 50, 60 & 70, MM60 & 60, MU20, Non Champ 5km
More stuff to come
