has stunned running legend Gabrielle O'Rourke at the North Island cross country champs in Taupo with an unplanned spurt of speed that carried her to the masters women's overall race win.
Running at Spa Park, Gibbs (masters women 45-49) was challenged early by O'Rourke (40-44) before she made a winning break
on the second lap to streak home in 18min 44sec - breaking the women's masters course record in 25 seconds. O'Rourke set a new W40-44 record with her time of 19min 14sec.
Gibbs, who will compete in the 5000m, 10,000m and marathon at the world masters championships in Sacramento later in the week, didn't feel the pace was that hot.
"It didn't feel like it was at that pace. I haven't got the experience to tell what pace I'm running.
"The plan was to sit on Gabrielle's shoulder for a while, but you often go to plan B and that's what happened."
The Katikati runner and wife of the town's Anglican vicar wasn't the only Ramblers runner in record-breaking form - Rebekah McCafferty claimed another record in the girls' 12 2000m, finishing in 7min 15sec to hold off Feilding's Zia Macdermid. The record was previously held by outstanding Taumarunui runner Demelza Murrihy.
Olivia Hines, fresh from winning the Tauranga Intermediate cross country on Friday, was sixth in the same race.
Lilli Crombie was in dominating form in the girls' 14 3000m, leading from the 500m mark and finishing four seconds ahead of Kaitlin Petherick (Pukekohe), Courtney Martin (Pakuranga), and Ramblers' Jessica Bitcheno.
Anneke Grogan finished strongly in the women's 16 race as she tried to close down tearaway pacemaker Kara Macdermid in the combined W16-19 4000m.
Macdermid's lead was closed down by W19 runner Kerry White (Te Aroha), who won in a convincing 14min 50sec. Macdermid clocked 15min 19sec to take the W16 title, one second ahead of Grogan.
Melissa Beeler ran a solid race for fourth in the W19, as did Casey Loader for 8th in the girls' 10 1km.
Tauranga's Gavin Smith finished a solid second in the masters men 55-59 6km. Russell Lake was third in the masters men 40-44, and Murray Clarkson fourth in the masters 60-64.
