The heat was blistering when the national secondary schools track and field championships were last held in Hastings in 2017. This year's championships start on Friday, with about 4000 people expected in Hastings over the three days.
The heat was blistering when the national secondary schools track and field championships were last held in Hastings in 2017. This year's championships start on Friday, with about 4000 people expected in Hastings over the three days.
Near-record numbers of athletes are entered in the New Zealand secondary schools track and field and road race championships in Hastings this week.
The 1168 athletes comprise the second-highest entry number in the history of the championships, and the 259 schools from throughout New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islandsare a record, says Athletics Hawke’s Bay Gisborne local organising committee secretary Rachel Hulls.
Including team officials, event officials and family supporters, the event could attract about 4000 people to Hastings.
The three-day championships start at midday on Friday, with a 9am start on Saturday and 8am on Sunday, for the road races. Competition will end about 4.30pm on Sunday, with anticipation of a repeat of the blistering heat of 2017, when the championships were last held in Hastings.
MetService is forecasting a peak of 26C in Hastings on Friday, and highs of 30C on Saturday and Sunday.
There is also much anticipation around this year’s championships because of growing recognition of New Zealand international athletics in recent seasons, including Tauranga Boys’ College runner Sam Ruthe, set to tackle the senior boys’ 1500 metres record held by Hawke’s Bay athlete Richard Potts for 36 years.
National schools senior boys' 1500 metres record hopeful Sam Ruthe (black singlet) running his first sub-four mile earlier this year, celebrated by Sam Tanner (left), who was runner-up in the senior boys' 1500m at the national secondary schools championships in Hastings in 2017. Photo / Athletics NZ
Ruthe is expected to be in action from almost the start of compeition, in the 800m, but the focus will intensify in the 1500m heats, scheduled for 12.25pm on Saturday.
Potts’ record, set when running for St John’s College, Hastings, in 1989, stands at 3m 46.92s but Ruthe has a personal best 1500m of 3m 39.17s, run in California in July.
Other notable performers at the same championships included 1500m runner Sam Tanner, throwers Maddi Wesche and Connor Bell, pole vaulter Olivia McTaggart, and Hawke’s Bay world championships representatives in sprinter Georgia Hulls and shot put exponent Nick Palmer, all of whom have become international athletes.
Wesche, Bell and McTaggart all set records at the event.
Hawke’s Bay schools will be represented by 79 athletes from 11 schools, with Havelock North High School’s team of 24 being the largest, hoping to improve upon the five medals the school won last year in Timaru.
There will also be about 70 local volunteers helping run the championships.
Gate entry is $5 for adults on Friday and $10 on Saturday and Sunday, with free entry for children.
Doug Laing is a Hawke’s Bay Today reporter based in Hastings, with more than 50 years in journalism covering most aspects of news, including sports.
