Fresh from a successful rowing season, Luke Watts used his residual fitness to street his rivals in the annual Wanganui Harrier Club Brine To Wine Road Race on Sunday.
Watts led the fabulous Aramoho Wanganui Rowing Club charge at the 2018 Rocket Fuel New Zealand Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro earlier this year. The small, but focused group of young men, took out the senior sculling trifecta in the single, double and quadruple sculls.
Since the end of the rowing season, Watts has taken to running to maintain fitness levels and on Sunday completed the 16km course in 1.00.03, more than a minute ahead of his nearest rival and new harrier club member Chris Line with clubmate Josh Payne a further eight minutes behind in third.
Watts claimed the Gilbertson Shield for his effort."I like to do a bit of running after the rowing seasons ends to keep me fit," Watts said.
"I'm not a club member, but I did do the half marathon last December. I was quite happy with my time on Sunday, although I should have sprinted that last bit to go under the hour."