Harriers: Lucas Duross a commanding winner of the Hastings Steeplechase senior men's title

Dominant: Lucas Duross blitzed the field in the senior men's race on Saturday. Photo/Hastings Harriers Club

Lucas Duross was a commanding winner of the annual interclub Hastings Steeplechase run at the Hawke's Bay Showgrounds on Saturday.

In the slow and soft underfoot conditions, the Napier Harriers Club member, who has bigger fish to fry in the coming weeks with the Dorne Cup in Wellington and the North Island Cross Country Champs in Taupo, was always clear of his opposition and kept up a strong pace to the line to finish the 6km race in 20m 52s.

The Palmerston North Athletics Club pair of Theo Purdy (21:58) and Liam Woolford (22:22) were second and third respectively.

Hastings Harriers' Phil McKay won the masters men's 6km race, which was run with the seniors, and finished a creditable sixth overall. McKay recorded a time of 23:57 and the Napier pair of Damien Christofis and Kieran Batt completed the podium for the grade.

The senior women's 4.5km race title went to former Hastings harrier Monica Burnard in 19:42. She now represents the Palmerston North Athletics Club while studying at Massey.

Burnard no doubt received plenty of comment from her former clubmates about losing her singlet, as would have women's masters winner and fellow former Hastings harrier Andrea Harris (nee Williams) who stopped the clock at 21:51. Harris, who is now Masterton-based, represents the Wairarapa Track and Field Club.

Second to Burnard in the senior race was well-performed New Zealand race-walker Laura Langley of the Napier Harriers Club, who switched gait for the event and posted a time of 20:54. Her clubmate Abby Young was third in 21:37.

In the age-group races, Napier's Aniela Apperley had a great race with Palmerston North's Ashleigh Gunn, Apperley winning by 7s in the girls' 14 grade.

The expected tussle between the Napier pair of Brianna Lee and Nina Boesch and Ruby Brett of Hastings in the girls' 16 3km grade didn't disappoint, with Lee forging away to win in 12:05.

Cameron Potts of Hastings ran a superb final lap to move through the boys' 14 3km field to win in 12:01, beating Jonathan Moore of Napier and Tom Goodisson of Hastings.

The boys' 16 clash, also over 3km, saw Napier's Mitchell Snell hold off a strong challenge from clubmate Mark Day with Regan Singer of Hastings third. Snell's time of 10:37 was a top effort considering the conditions.

Hastings' Kane Elms was the stylish winner of the boys 19 grade's 4.5km race in 16:37. A highlight of the day was the large number of young runners from both the Bay clubs to face the starter in the 1.5km races for under 10s and under 12s.

Many of Saturday's placegetters are expected to feature in the annual Queen's Birthday Road Races in Napier on Monday.