Road races: Two records set at championships

Devon Beckman (left), Mitchell Hayes, Shamus Christison, Christian Leopard, Zach Gedye and Luke Horn lead the peleton.

Two records set at last week's East Coast Secondary School Road Race Championships were highlights of an excellent day's racing.

Central Hawke's Bay College's Holly Keir started the day on a great note when she cleared out from her field in the opening event at the Regional Sports Park to win the junior girls' race in record time. Her 15m 24s for the 4km distance was quicker than what Taradale's Laura Langley ran to win the senior race.

In winning, Keir, took 10 seconds off her own course record set last year.

Olivia Corrin (Gisborne Girls' High School) was impressive winning the year 9 girls' race by one minute and 18 seconds from teammate Tyler Andrews. What would otherwise have just been a solo time trial was made more interesting for spectators, and for Corrin, by the fact the year 9 girls' and boys' races were run together. Corrin worked her way through the boys' field and was closing on third placed Kahu Rangiuia-Lindup, but the boy rallied to hold his fellow Gisborne athlete out by three seconds.

Back in April, Corrin showed her one-in-a-generation type of talent in winning the North Island secondary school junior 3000m on the track in Masterton, running 10:14.12 and breaking a North Island schools' record which had stood since 1995.

The pity for followers of athletics is Corrin will not be seen at this year's New Zealand secondary schools athletics championships in Wanganui in December. The multi-talented athlete will instead be representing New Zealand as a swimmer in Australia. And while it's fair to say that cycling is the weakest of her three disciplines, Corrin is a top triathlete as well.

Twelve schools from Gisborne and Hawke's Bay were represented in this year's championships run in perfect conditions.

Results:

Year 9 Girls 3k: Olivia Corrin (Gisborne Girls') 10:49 (course record), 1; Tyler Andrews (Gisborne Girls') 12:04, 2; Monique Way (Woodford) 12:22, 3.

Year 9 Boys 3k: Kane Elms (St John's) 10:29, 1; Alex Langley (Taradale) 10:36, 2; Kahu Rangiuia-Lindup (Gisborne Boys') 10:43, 3.

Junior Girls 4k: Holly Keir (CHB College) 15:24 (course record), 1; Georgina Gibbs (Woodford) 16:42, 2; Hannah Overbye (Gisborne Girls') 16:57, 3.

Junior Boys 4k: Bradley Christison (Napier Boys') 13:20, 1; Kaleb Wright (Lindisfarne) 13:55, 2; Thomas McKay (Napier Boys') 14:04, 3.

Senior Girls 4k: Laura Langley (Taradale) 15:29, 1; Holly Manning (Napier Girls') 15:30, 2; Roisin Pearson (Napier Girls') 15:34, 3.

Senior Boys 6k: Christian Leopard (Napier Boys') 20:49, 1; Devon Beckman (Napier Boys') 21:05, 2; Shamus Christison (Napier Boys') 22:00, 3.

Team Race Winners:

Year 9 Girls: 3 to count - Gisborne Girls' High School; 6 to count - Napier Girls' High School.

Year 9 Boys: 3 to count - Napier Boys' High School; 6 to count - Napier Boys' High School.

Junior Girls: 3 to count - Woodford House; 6 to count - Napier Girls' High School.

Junior Boys: 3 to count - Napier Boys' High School; 6 to count - Napier Boys' High School.

Senior Girls: 3 to count - Napier Girls' High School; 6 to count - Napier Girls' High School.

Senior Boys: 3 to count - Napier Boys' High School; 6 to count - Napier Boys' High School.