Running: Wilde toughs it out for win

Whakatane's Hayden Wilde, 18, won the New Zealand Tough Guy and Gal Championships race on Saturday in Rotorua.

Young Whakatane athlete Hayden Wilde can add the title of New Zealand Tough Guy and Gal Champion to his growing list of credentials.

Wilde, 18, blitzed the field in the second annual New Zealand Tough Guy and Gal Championships on Saturday at Lakes Ranch in Rotorua to claim the 2015 men's title. The race featured 45 starters all of whom had either won or been on the podium at Tough Guy and Gal events. The Tough Guy and Gal events - which feature a mud run with plenty of fun obstacles - are popular around the North Island with thousands of people entering each year.

Event Promotions marketing manager Charlotte Pearson said Wilde was in a class of his own on Saturday. "The male winner Hayden is only 18 and he won the secondary schools race on Thursday by eight minutes so we invited him back," she said.

The start of the New Zealand Tough Guy and Gal Championships race at Lakes Ranch on Saturday.

"We thought it would be a good [men's race on Saturday] but it was Hayden then daylight."

Wilde finished the 12km race at Lakes Ranch in 54.06 minutes, more than three minutes ahead of second-placed David Sullivan (Matamata) and almost five minutes ahead of third-placed Angus Mckelvie (Palmerston North). Meanwhile, Lower Hutt's Julie Johnson dominated the women's race to defend her national crown in 1 hour 6.22 minutes. Roisin McQuillan (Matamata) finished second about seven minutes back with Kalli Fox (Grafton) in third.

The two winners received a carved trophy, bottle of Moa beer and a shoe voucher for Smith's Sports Shoes.

Pearson said it was a good turnout and she hoped the feature race would expand in the coming years.

"It was just cool to see winners and people that had podiumed at other events take each other on. The national champs really just tops off the series and I think it is something that will grow."