Interview with runners Hamish Carson and Leah Lassche who were both part of winning teams in the men and women premier events at the 2016 NZ ROad Relay Championships in Rotorua.
Wellington Scottish and North Harbour Bays won the men's and women's premier titles at the 2016 New Zealand Road Relay Championships in Rotorua on Saturday.
Scottish repeated their Senior Men A Grade win in Christchurch last year, beating New Brighton Olympic, winners in 2012 and Auckland City, the 2014 champions.
Pakuranga led at the first four changes but an injury to marathon runner Ciaran Faherty saw them fall back, allowing Scottish to grab the lead that they never relinquished to the end of the seven-leg 62.5 km relay. Auckland City Athletics moved briefly into second position before being overtaken by New Brighton Olympic.
Olympian Hamish Carson had the job of bringing home the Wellington club over the finish line, at the Energy Events Centre, for their seventh senior men's victory in the 40-year history of the championships.
"It feels bloody brilliant. I'm so happy that all the boys put the work in today," he said.
"There was a nice tail wind so that got me off to a great start. The wheels started to fall off a bit at the end but I managed to keep a good gap and hold on.
"We call this the relay Olympics and I felt I brought my experience from Rio here."
Carson, who ran with teammates Tim Hodge, Rowan Hooper, Sam McCutcheon, Stephen Day, Hiro Tanimoto and Harry Burnard praised Rotorua, after it hosted the championships for the first time in its history.
Leah Lassche on the last leg for the Bays managed to hold off multiple NZ champion Camille Buscomb. Photo/Ben Fraser
"We really enjoyed it, it was challenging with a lot of up and down sections but I'll definitely have to come back to do the big marathon here," he said.
Brett Addison from Athletics New Zealand added: "It's been a very big success here in Rotorua. They put a lot of work into the event coming up to this and they have executed it really well."
In the women's premier field, North Harbour Bays had a battle on their hands with Hamilton City Hawks right to the finish with the winning margin just over a minute.
Leah Lassche, on the last leg for the Bays, managed to hold off multiple NZ champion Camille Buscomb, helping her club to their eighth win in the women's championship.
"I was all good about last until there was the fifth leg and then I thought I'd be under pressure," Lassche said.
"But you just have to focus on running my own race and that's what I tried to do.
"I was just trying to hold on because I knew their last runner was very strong. I was just trying to keep it under control."
Meanwhile local running club Lake City celebrated success- finishing second in the masters men 60-plus and third in the masters women's race.
Campbell Horn, who ran the fifth leg in the men's team, said he was happy with the result and highlighted teammate Colin Earwaker's performance .
"It took a while to get into it and I then had to dig deep up Mourea Hill but I'm pleased with how we finished," he said.
"A special mention has to go to Colin because we were down in third before he received the baton.
