Runners struggle to take in the sights

Cross-country

Highlights and results from the Ruamahanga Ramblers' Saturday's run at Steve Pitney's Hururua Road farm.

A good turnout of 30 people, considering the cold, rainy conditions, and that the course is known as the hardest of the Ramblers' winter series.

Two competitors (Tracey and Xanthe Furkert) decided it was going to be too steep to walk or run, so brought their horses and completed the course on horseback. They passed three runners on the way up, however, Steve Britland and Ray Wallis repassed them on the downhill section..

It rained all afternoon, and the cloud was down on the hill tops, so by the time the runners got halfway up the hills there was no view. Perhaps we should rename the group the Ruamahanga Meteorologists, as at least 3km of the run was in the cloud, and being so steep, runners had plenty of time to savour the mist.

Steve Yeats realised running in "foot glove" shoes (barefoot running shoes) has some disadvantages, such as feeling every stone on the uphill tracks, and then having no traction on the downhill (he had several spills, but luckily didn't hurt himself).

Derek Cox had a great run. Backing up from his first marathon last week (Waitarere) he was first up the hill, was still leading when the runners came off the hill, and was only just caught by Gavin Champion on the 1km flat run to the finish

Special mention must be made of Claudia Baechle, who completed the course in just over 1 hours. To keep running for that long in the cold and rain was no mean feat

Last weekend, Rupert Waston competed in the Athletics New Zealand Mountain Running championships (held at Wainuiomata) and came second in his age group (men 65+), while Ray Wallis was first in the 70+ age group.

Next week, the Ramblers are running from the Gibb's farm on Tiffin Road.

Results: 2km: Andrew Hymans 9.24; Jack Britland 9.24; Lucas Megaw 9.47; Fergus Pitney 11.50.

4km: Michael Hymans 19.21; Marshall Pitney 20.12; Chris Van Gerven 29.00; Aidan Furkert 29.07; Ben Van Gerven 29.09; Ali Lang 38.08; Steve Pitey 24.13.

8km: Gavin Champion 48.19; Derek Cox 49.01; Malcolm Macdonald 50.09; Roger Jones 52.32; John Sage 54.01; Rupert Watson 57.21; Paul Furkert 57.24; Ray Haste 57.24; Katherine Hosburgh 59.58; Teresa Reynolds 1:00.00; Lloyd Millar 1:05.14; Stephen Yeats 1:05.32; Chris Megaw 1:06.16; Wayne Hyman 1:06.16; Steve Britland 1:13.03; Ray Wallis 1:14.02; Xanthe Furkert 1:29.31; Tracey Furkert 1:29.31; Claudia Baechle 1:30.29.