Bassett tops his club election with race win

New Hatea Harriers president Neville Bassett celebrated his election to the club's top position with a victory in Saturday's off-road race through forest and along tracks from AH Reed Park.
Bassett completed two circuits of the course - from AH Reed Park to the steep circuit around Whangarei Falls and back, a total of 8.8km. Runners could choose whether to complete one circuit (4.4km) or two.
Bassett was first overall and first in the masters' grade, in 42m 16s, well clear of hard-running Colin Smith, who finished second in 45m 39s, and third-placed Rob Dinsdale in 45m 50s.
Recovering quickly, Bassett said: "I started out well - the first challenge really is when you get to the falls and you've got to go up the steps to the top - I managed to sort of run up the first time but the second lap was a bit tougher."
In the masters women's 8.8km, Annette Murray headed off Pauline Dinsdale, Judith Bradshaw and Toni Daly.
Cameron Trass had a comfortable win in senior men's grade, finishing in 47m 27s; and Megan Morris won the senior women's race in 57m 02s.
The outright winner of the one-lap course (2.4km) was Zac Sinclair (under-16 years), with the excellent time of 20m, while Travis Connelly took out the under-18 grade in 21m 23s.
Other places in the shorter run went to - Harrierettes: 1 Lakiesha Cummings, 2= Imogen Morris and Greg Morris. Midgets: 1 Oliver Morris. Masters men: 1 Tim Brown, 2 Tom Hourigan. Masters women: 1 Stella Hourigan, 2 Ann Riceman.
Eighty-year-old Frank Riceman - winner of four Northland marathon titles  from 1960  to 1963 and a Northland representative in four New Zealand Marathon Championships, where he ran a personal best of 2h 35m  - rejoined the club after a long absence while living in Auckland, and enthusiastically walked part of the short course.
Barbara Rose had a solo walk over the short course and John Kent devoted himself to helping runners and walkers who took wrong turns or who had other difficulties.
President Bassett summed up: "I was really pleased with the day. There was a good turnout (of runners). I was a bit worried in the morning with that rain but then the sun came out and it was perfect, not like last year, when it was muddy and slippery.
"There were quite a few who just ran in pairs and had a chat so the times weren't really that significant for a lot of the runners, but there were a few of us trying to push it a little bit to see how we are - where we're at."