Athletics: Linford, McKenzie take out half-marathon titles

Ady McKenzie, with daughter Charli, took out the women's division of the ACC Whangarei Half-Marathon. PHOTO/TANIA WHYTE

Harry Linford and Ady McKenzie were in great form to take line honours in the annual ACC Whangarei Half Marathon on Sunday.

Completing the 21.1km in 1.17.22, Linford was a little bit under the weather but still managed to finish ahead of other podium finishers Louis Young (Warkworth) and Chris Mills (Whangarei).

The race for second was a tight one with Young pulling away right at the end to finish eight seconds clear of Mills in 1.21.51.

In the women's race McKenzie cruised through in 1.27.33 with Auckland runner Marisa Ruhter second in 1.29.30. Whangarei's Caris Teo picked up third in 1.34.30.

The 9km attracted a field of nearly 500 runners and walkers. It was another hotly contested section with Luke Clements and Ruth Hutchinson taking line honours in their respective categories.

Clements ran in a time of 37.28 and Hutchinson in 41.23, three minutes faster than her time when she won the 2016 event.

With only one more event to go in the 2017 Sport Northland Run/Walk Series, the NorthCloud Leaderboard has already been won by Linford and Maria Akkeson.

Despite this the ASB Kerikeri Half Marathon will still have a lot on the line for runners as both Young and Mills sit on 21 points each in second place.

The ASB Kerikeri Half Marathon is set down for November 18 which will be held in conjunction with the New Zealand Half Marathon Championships.

The New Zealand Half Marathon Championships attract some of New Zealand's best runners and with the Kerikeri Half a largely flat course, personal bests are likely.

The New Zealand Championships will also include a large number of Masters runners aged from 35 years through to 80 years-plus, with each competing for New Zealand titles in their respective age brackets.