Atheltics: Athletics NZ Weekly Round-Up May 2

Athletics New Zealand Marathon Championship and 52nd Rotorua Marathon - 30 April 2016
Nick Horspool timed his finishing run to perfection to take out the New Zealand marathon title in 2:27:39. The 34 year old Wellington earthquake scientist was in a battle with Ciaran Faherty, 2012 national marathon champion Tony Payne and Chris Sanson for most of the journey around the lake. The group were through the half way point in 1:14:58. Horspool who was second in the 2014 and fourth last year in the Auckland marathon and has a personal best of 2:24:45 pulled away over the closing stages to head in Sanson who clocked a PB 2:28:10, Faherty 2:28:22 and pre-race favourite and 2013 half marathon winner Payne 2:49:49. David Lovelock was a distant fifth in 2:35:44 PB.

Horspool had a lead of 100 metres by 41km which he held to the finish.

"Late in the race the legs were feeling really good and once you get 100m on somebody you can hold the pace. I think I was running 3m 20s (per km) at the end so I knew they would have to run at least 3m 10s to pick me up so I was making sure I didn't go too deep and pop," he said.

Liza Hunter-Galvan (46) repeated her win in 2012 in the women's section with a time of 2:55:25 for her first New Zealand title. The twice Olympian and four times Christchurch marathon winner finished exactly two minutes ahead of Katie Wyrill who was third last year. The 2010 and 2011 winner Johanna Ottosson of Rotorua was third in 2:57:52 and collected the championship silver medal. The bronze medal went to Mel Aitken who was fourth in 3:00:30 followed by Klaartje van Schie in 3:00:56.

Michael Voss went from fifth in 2014 and second last year to win the half marathon in a two minute personal best of 1:06:21. Craig Kirkwood fourth last year was second in 1:09:22 PB with James Richardson third in 2011, third again in 1:11:47.

Alice Mason of Cambridge went one place better than last year to win the women's half marathon in 1:18:31. Candice Hammond was second in 1:21:55 PB and Sarah Murphy third in 1:23:35 PB.

IAAF Combined Events Challenge, 29th Multistars - Trofeo Zerneri Acciai, Stadio Luigi Ridolfi, Florence - 29/30 April 2016
Portia Bing chasing a Rio qualifier of 6200 points finished a creditable second in the heptathlon at the IAAF combined events challenge scoring 5987 points. She achieved two personal bests on the second day in javelin throw and the 800m.

Her performances were: 100m H 14.06 (-1.7) 970, HJ 1.72m 879, SP 13.14m 737, 200m 24.97 (-1.4) 890, 1st day 3476 points (5). LJ 5.97m (-0.5) 840, JT 43.87m PB 742, 800m 2:12.47 PB 929 total 5987 (2), won by Vanessa Spinola of Brazil with 6100. Bing has a personal best total of 6102 from the Queensland championships in January last year.

Brent Newdick was ninth in the decathlon with 7236 points. Newdick's performances were: 100m 11.34 (-1.8) 786, LJ 6.89m (-0.1) 788, SP 13.73m 712, HJ 1.89m 705, 400m 52.33 710, 1st day 3701 points (12). 110m H 15.41 (-0.6) 801, DT 43.56m 737, PV 4.45m 746, JT 53.43m 640, 1500m 4:51.35 611 total 7236 (9). Won by Lars Rise of Norway with 7868.

Annual Grand Blue Street Mile, Grand Avenue, Des Moines IA, 26 April: Nikki Hamblin finished third in 4:38.78. Won by American Heather Kampf in 4:37.52.

Penn Relays Meeting, Philadelphia PA, 28 April: Craig Lautenslager 10,000m 29:18.13 (1) a personal best by over a minute.

OSU Meeting, Corvallis Oregon, 29 April: Lilli Burdon 1500m 4:19.92 (1).

LSU Invitational, Bernie Moore Stadium, Baton Rouge LA, 30 April: Rebekah Greene 800m 2:12.05 (8).

50th Oda Memorial Meeting, Hiroshima, 29 April: Stuart Farquhar JT 79.25m (3), Ben Langton Burnell JT 73.20m (8).

Wellington Mountain Running Championships, Wainuiomata - 30 April 2016
New Zealand mountain running champion Dougal Thorburn won the senior men's title over 10.5km in 43:34. Nathan Tse was second in 45:26 and Niam Macdonald third in 47:36. Stephen Day won the master men's 40-49 in 45:36 and Peter Stevens the 50-59 in 52:53. Jo Crawford won the senior women's over 9km in 45:08 with Jackie Mexted taking out the master women's 40-49 in 46:22 and Jill Westenra the 50-59 in 47:24. The junior men's 6.5km went to Rusi Jagose in 28:53 and the junior women over the same distance to Jayme Maxwell in 34:22.

Wellington Scottish won the King Club of the Mountain title and Hutt Valley Harriers the Queen of the Mountain title.

New Zealand 100km Championship, Hagley Park - 1 May 2016
Phil Costley chalked up another national title taking his total to 33, and into clear second one better than Craig Barrett on the New Zealand most New Zealand titles list. Costley is now just four titles away from equalling Valerie Young's 37 titles.

Costley (Athletics Nelson) won the Sri Chinmoy 100km in 7:31:37. Australian Kay Bretz was second in 8:19:59 with Andrew Glennie of Caversham Dunedin third in 10:30:28. Dawn Tuffery of Hamilton City Hawks won the women's 100km in 8:47:33, from Shannon-Leigh Walker (New Brighton Olympic) 8:54:07 and Paulette Birchfield (Sumner) 11:48:15.
Costley's 33 titles are made up of 3000m 1, 5000m 1, 10,000m 1, 3000m steeplechase 5, Half Marathon 4, Marathon 3, 4km Cross Country 4, 12km Cross Country 6, 10km Road 3, Mountain Running 4, 100km 1.

Lionel Fox Relays, Woodend Beach Domain - 30 April 2016
Christchurch Avon team of Cameron Avery, Cameron Swales, Angus Bailey and Ieuan van der Peet won the senior men's 4 x 5km relay in 1:04:06, just ten seconds ahead of Papanui Toc H and University third in 1:10:35. Ben Musson (PapTocH) ran the fastest lap of 15:21, Avery was on 15:33 and Goitem Gebremedihin (PapTocH) was around in 15:36. University team of Harriet Bush, Akeira Worthington, Lily Trotter and Gabby Gray won the senior women's relay in 1:16:30 from Christchurch Avon 1:22:14 and University B 1:24:08. Gray was the fastest with 18:39, Tania McWilliams (Univ) ran 18:59 and Trotter 19:01.

Christchurch Avon won the master men in 1:13:06, from Port Hills 1:19:45 and Christchurch Avon B 1:23:11. Fastest laps to Ben Aynsley (Sumner) 16:36, Nathan Jones (Sumner) 17:24 and Richard Seigne (ChchAvon) 17:37.

University won the master women in 1:28:52 from Port Hills 1:35:46 and Canterbury Triathlon 1:40:55. Fastest laps to Maggie Chorley (Univ) 20:18, Natasha Mitchell (Nth Cant) 20:52 and Leesa Edge (Univ) 21:35.

The B17 relay went to Ports Hills and the G17 to University. Fastest 2.5km laps Ethan Smolej (PapTocH) 8:29 and Emilie Brunton (ChchAvon) 9:08.

Southland Harriers 3-6-9, Queen's Park - 30 April 2016
Hannah Miller (Gore) showed her preparation for the national mountain championships is progressing according to plan with a convincing run in the Southland Harriers opening race, the 3-6-9 around Invercargill's Queens Park. Miller ran the 2 lap 5.8km course in 20:58, finishing second overall, 29 seconds behind winner Josh Taylor (St Pauls). Hannah's sister Briana was second woman in 24:40 while 10 year old Kennedy Taylor was third in 25:26. Jaxon Taylor (brother of Josh and Kennedy) took second male in 21:04 with Tim Baker (Winton) third with 23:00. The 3 lap 8.6km course was won by Buddy Small (St Pauls) just ahead of Jack McNaughton (St Pauls), 30:27 to 30:37, with Finn Rogers (St Pauls) third, 32:20. Sarah Wallis (Winton) was first woman. Jacob Boniface took out the 1 lap 3km race in 12:02, Ella Fry was next in and first girl, running 12:15. Dylan Holland and Logan Wylie were second and third of the boys with Ruby Miller and Jordis Belesky next among the girls.

Shoe Clinic Half Marathon, 1 May: Simon Mardon 1:18:37, Pete Coates 1:23:26, Thomas Littleworth 1:23:55. Paula Canning for the 11th year in a row 1:24:24, Sami Jordan 1:30:31, Colette Read 1:38:36. Quarter Marathon: Josh Barber 41:03 and Roachelle Ingerson 45:08.