When Sam Tanner lines up in the 1500m final at the national under-20 champs at Porritt Stadium on Sunday, there will be more than a New Zealand title at stake.
Tanner, 17, and his great rivals, Nick Moulai and Isaiah Priddey, are chasing two places at the 2018 World U20Championships to be held in Finland in July.
Bethlehem College student Tanner went under the qualifying time in taking two seconds off his personal best in running 3m 46.69s in Auckland 10 days ago. He now holds the second-fastest time behind Priddey, with both athletes last month breaking Eddie Crowe's record that had stood since 1991.
But to make the trip to the worlds, Tanner has to finish in the top two in Hamilton.
"I am pretty excited about it and definitely looking forward to putting in another hard race and hopefully can get a title. Myself, Nick and Isaiah have all qualified times for [world champs]," he said.
It is the first time in New Zealand athletics history that three runners have gone under the 1500m qualifying time for the world juniors.
Tanner was not surprised he ran so fast.
"I knew I could do it as I have been running really well this season, so I knew the time was going to come. It was just a matter of what race and how fast it would actually be."
He is a renowned cross country runner and reigning NZ Secondary Schools champion. He will compete at the 2018 World Secondary Schools Cross Country Champs to be held in Paris in April. But he has only been racing middle distances on the track for a year or so.
"I like the track, the people and the environment and the adrenalin from running faster gives me a bit of a buzz over a shorter distance," he said.
Tanner is part of the Craig Kirkwood Coaching stable of athletes based in Tauranga. Kirkwood said Tanner has quickly proved himself as a top-class middle-distance runner in a short period.
"He only started running seriously about a year ago, so it was always a question of what his speciality is going to be. I have said right from the very beginning it is going to be the 1500, which has proven to be this year, which is really cool as that is New Zealand's blue-riband event," Kirkwood said.
"It is right up his alley. He has got the speed, he has got the strength and is learning the race and how to read tactically in those events. He is learning very fast how to position himself and where to be and how to read what is going on in front of him and behind him."
Tanner's background in cross country is a huge advantage, according to Kirkwood.
"It is critical. You can't run well over 1500 without some degree of strength but, equally, you need to be really fast. You also need to be really athletic which Sam is blessed with. He has a lot of growth to come in the sport."
The biggest challenge facing Tanner off the track is how to fund potentially two overseas trips in a short period. He has set up a Givealittle page and is fundraising with help from family and friends.
