UNDER WAY: Hundreds of runners competed in the fifth annual Peak Trail Blazer yesterday. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR
UNDER WAY: Hundreds of runners competed in the fifth annual Peak Trail Blazer yesterday. PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR
Hopes that a sub-50-minute time could be posted at the fifth annual Peak Trail Blazer event staged at Havelock North yesterday were dashed by strong westerlies that flared up shortly after the estimated 600 runners and walkers set off.
"It slowed them down a little I think," racedirector Jo Throp said. "We were up there the day before marking out the course and it was pretty strong and we were a bit nervous about it - but it did ease off a bit so it was all good."
It was also all good for young Eskdale couple Kristian Day and Ruby Muir as they picked up the top titles of Quarter Acre Wines King of the Peak and Aesthetic Dental Queen of the Peak. They picked up the increased prize packages of $500. "One household and $1000," Ms Throp said. "Not bad for a day's work."
And for Day his finish time was agonisingly only about a minute-and-a-half away from breaking the 50-minute mark for the 12.8km course, but his response was effectively "there's always next year".
He had been looking forward to going head to head with his running buddy, Lucas Duross, but Duross had sustained a shin injury and was unable to take part. "But he was there at the finishing line to cheer Kristian home," Ms Throp said.
In the up-and-coming class for young people between 5 and 17, 16-year-old Devon Beckman took the boy's title as well as finished in under 60 minutes to become one of the 22 new members of the Hall of Flames Club (for finishing under the hour mark).
He was also second overall. Laura Langley was first in the female section with her strong run.
For the youngsters who took part in the 3.5km Tainui Trail run it was Hadley McDougall who took the Prince of Tainui title and Evie Kennedy was crowned Princess of Tainui.
