Athletics: Lake City relay team look strong

The 34th annual Red Stag Redwoods Forest running and walking relay is being held tomorrow, with the Redwood Grove and Scion Archive nursery areas being used for the course. The event's headquarters are based near the Redwoods Visitor Centre on the Long Mile Road.

Runners and walkers will compete in one of the three sections on offer. The open section is broken down into four categories for members of athletic clubs - men's open, women's open, and the masters grades for men and women aged 35-plus.

Each of the five team members run a lap of the 5000m course. Corporate and composite teams also consist of five members with each member running the 5km lap.

The four person youth teams, for athletes aged between 11 and 19, sees each team member running a 3.2km lap.

As well as club teams taking part, a number of teams representing secondary schools contest this section.

The two-person walk section has each member tackling the 5km loop. Teams in this section come from clubs as well as the event's supporting sponsors.

Looking at the entry list, the host club, the Lake City Athletic Club, look to be top contenders in the two male grades - the men's open and masters men.

In both of these sections they have entered very strong teams, with the men's open team runners being Steven O'Callaghan, Nick Portas, Sjors Corporaal, Nick Pannett and Jason Steyn-Ross who look set to retain the title they won last year. The combination of Chris Corney, Adrian Lysaght, Bruce Edwards, Colin Earwaker and Tony Broadhead make up the masters men's No 1 team.

The open section team's main opposition will come from Egmont Athletics and Hamilton City Hawks, likewise in the masters section they will tussle with Hamilton City Hawks

In the female section Egmont Athletics should dominate, with the two Lake City teams entered filling the minor places. Fielding Moa who broke Hamilton City Hawks' 15-year winning streak last year are not defending their masters women's title. This leaves the way open for Hamilton City Hawks to regain the title.

The composite section winners look to be a team from Hamilton City Hawks, Whakatane, Tauranga Ramblers or Taupo Harriers.

Last year both the youth section team records were broken.

Egmont Athletics who reduced the male record to 43.10s have returned with another strong team who could nudge the record they set last year.

New Plymouth Girls' High with consistent laps being turned in by the four team members set a new youth female team time of 50.43s last year, but have not fielded a team this year.

Many-time winners of this grade, Tauranga Girls' College are likely winners again but will face strong opposition from Egmont Athletics.

In the walk section Lake City who have entered three teams are likely to feature in the top places, but teams from Taupo Harriers, Calliope (Auckland) or Whakatane could beat them across the line.

The event gets underway at 10am and should be over by about 12.30pm, with the prizegiving adjacent to the Redwoods Giftshop at 1pm.