Athletics: Athletics NZ Weekly Round-Up May 16

Tom Walsh competes during the IAAF Diamond League 2016. Photo / Getty Images

Athletics New Zealand Mountain Running Championships, Ben Lomond - 14 May 2016
Dougal Thorburn of Wellington Scottish and Sarah Douglas of Christchurch Avon were the victors in the senior races. Thorburn, the defending national champion eased away from the field to take another senior men's title by a big margin of six minutes from Caden Shields of Hill City University and fellow Scottish clubmate Niam MacDonald.

"I took it easy the first couple of loops, that was the plan and then with two loops to go I thought let's go, I'm out of here," said Thorburn.

"It was just superb, I just loved it," said Thorburn of the course. "The festive atmosphere here was great."

Queenstown local Douglas was too strong in the women's race, coming away with the victory in the 7km event by nearly three minutes from the Hill City duo Shireen Crumpton and Sabrina Grogan. Douglas had based most of her training on and around the Ben Lomond mountain and victory was particularly sweet after a tough 2015, with injury keeping her out of competition for much of the year. The defending champion Sally Gibbs was fourth.

Jack Beaumont of Winton went back to back, claiming the U20 men's race, defending his title by three minutes from Tommy Hayes of Auckland City Athletics and another Winton runner Alan Woodford.

Emerson Deverell of Hamilton City Hawks won the U20 women's division, just holding on in a tight battle with Sophie Smith from Athletics Nelson and Hannah Miller from Gore.
Strong performances in the masters races included Stephen Day of Wellington Scottish with a dominant performance in the masters men's 40 category over Sjors Corporaal and Richard Ussher and good battle in the masters women's 40 division between Paula Canning, Jackie Mexted and Elina Usher. Canning was the victor by less than a minute from the hard charging Mexted with Ussher matching her husband's third in the master men.

Wet weather in Queenstown through the week and on race day meant organisers had to revert to a contingency course which kept athletes off the upper reaches of the mountain where conditions were not conducive to safe racing. This meant a course with a fast downhill section which played into the hands of speed exponents. Despite the conditions, the Championships were hailed as a success by entrants, there were around 100 entries for the Championship grades, with non-championship races attracting another 50.

IAAF Diamond League Meeting, Shanghai Stadium - 14 May 2016
Tom Walsh opened his Diamond League campaign in fine style finishing second in the shot put with a career 14th best of 21.20m. Walsh held the early lead with a first round 20.79m but was pushed back to second by American World Champion Joe Kovacs in the second round with 20.82m, and then was bumped further down into third in the sixth and final round when fellow American Kurt Roberts unleashed a 21.40m throw to grab the lead. But the world indoor champion came back with a big toss of 21.20m on his final attempt, grabbing second place, while Kovacs could not respond. Walsh's series: 20.79, x, 19.99, 20.27, x, 21.20.

The world-class field included Kovacs, who is the 2016 world outdoor leader with 21.47m, double Olympic gold medallist Tomas Majewski, Commonwealth Games gold medallist and world championship bronze medallist O'Dayne Richards (Jamaica) and former world indoor champion Ryan Whiting (US).

Walsh sits in second place in the Diamond League shot put and will next compete in the Prefontaine Classic leg of the Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon on 27 May.

Hawke's Bay International Marathon, Marine Parade Napier to Sileni Estates Winery Hastings - 14 May 2016
It was a tough day in the office for James Parsons of Napier who won in 2:35:10, beating last month's Rotorua marathon runner up Chris Sanson who recorded 2:37:11. Parsons (28) who was born in Dunedin said that it was such a struggle.

"I don't think I can convey how hard that was," said Parsons.

"The last 10km I was wanting to stop, it was the longest 10km of my life. It was hot windy and dry, which makes it really hard marathon racing, you're dry and running into the wind the whole way, there's no rest," he added.

Hamish Hammond was third in 2:48:58.

Leah Fittzgerald (33) from Coffs Harbour was the winner of the women's marathon in 3:00:42 from Katherine Morgan 3:14:00 and Marisa Ruhter 3:20:03.

Hayden Wilde won the half marathon in 1:13:18 from Craig Kirkwood 1:13:54 and Malcolm Hodge 1:16:54. Olivia Ritchie won the women's half in 1:26:00 from Posey Wall 1:27:15 and Grace Ritchie 1:27:17.

Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon - 14 May 2016
Men Samuel Hansby 1:20:03, Nick Smeeton 1:22:15, Brian Law 1:23:16. Women Sarah Gardiner 1:27:33, Anna Archie 1:32:11, Anneke Cockerell 1:33:23. Walk: David Leahy 2:23:10. Amanda Hodson 2:35:38.

Jane Paterson Cross Country, Rawhiti Domain - 14 May 2016
2013 national junior road champion Ben Musson won the senior 9km in 30:47 beating current national junior 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m champion Cameron Avery who recorded 30:52. Ieuan van der Peet was third in 31:20. Chris Mardon won the M45 9km in 32:39 while Tony McManus had no trouble winning the M65 7.5km in 30:19. Angela Whyte won the women's 6km in 25:14, from Elise Sutherland 25:58 and Isla Smith 27:06. Maggie Chorley won the W45 6km in 25:15. The junior men's 6km went to Sean Eustace in 20:05, from Goiteom Gebremedihan 20:19 and Thomas Moulai 20:44. The youth men 6km won by Mitchell Small 20:16 from Nick Moulai 20:44. Natalie Dryden won the junior women 4.5km in 19:23 while the youth women over the same distance went to Liliana Braun 17:09, from Amelia Persson 17:11 and Ari Graham 17:30.

Athletics Canterbury Awards - 13 May 2016
Tom Walsh received the senior athlete of the year award as well as the thrower of the year and the R H Harbison Memorial Cup for the best senior track and field athlete. Rosa Flanagan was named junior athlete of the year and also received the junior non-stadia award and the distance athlete of the year. Her coach Maria Hassan received the coach of the year. Angela Petty also coached by Hassan received the middle distance athlete award. Among the many other awards handed out during the evening, Oska Inkster-Baynes received the senior non-stadia and cross country runner of the year.

SWITZERLAND
Fruhjahres Meeting, Zug, 7 May: Valerie Adams SP 19.52m (1).

FRANCE
Interclub Meeting, Grenoble, 8 May: Alexander Parkinson DT 53.05m (1). Matthew Bloxham HT 63.05m (1).

GERMANY
Hammer International Meeting, Frankisch-Crumbach, 14 May: Matthew Bloxham HT 64.90m PB (2).
Discus International Meeting, Wiesbaden, 14 May: Alexander Parkinson DT 55.03m PB (5).

USA
UAE Healthy Kidney 10km, Central Park New York, 14 May
Zane Robertson, recently named in the NZ team for the Rio Olympics in the 10,000m finished 4th in 29:02. Robertson, based in Ethiopia, was part of an early leading bunch with two Kenyans and an Ethiopian and went through the half way mark in 14:01, before fading in the later stages of the race, which was eventually won by Kenyan Lucas Rotich in 28:29.
America East Championships, Binghamton NY, 4 May: Annie Keown 10,000m 36:58.10 (4).
Southland Conference, Corpus Christi TX, 6 May: Imogen Hull 1500m 4:51.88 (6h1).
Ivy League Championships, Princeton NJ, 7 May: Joshua Billington 100m 10.75 (+1.7) (3h2), 10.78 (+1.7) (8), 200m 21.99 (6h3).
Atlantic 10 Championship, Fairfax VA, 7 May: Tannock Blair 800m 1:53.54 (4h4), 1500m 3:57.09 (9h2). Matthew Prest 10,000m 31:22.07 PB (11).
GMAC Championships, Spearfish SD, 8 May: Alex Wood JT 62.64m (1).
West Coast Invitational, Salem OR, 12 May: Grace McConnochie 5000m 17:18.55 PB (5).
Southeastern Conference, Tuscaloosa AL, 13 May: Rebekah Greene 1500m 4:29.44 (7h2).
Colorado Mines Last Chance, Golden CO, 13 May: Alex Wood JT 62.73m (1).
Big Sky Championships, Greeley CO, 13 May: Matthew Baxter 10,000m 31:11.62 (4).
GNAC Championships, Monmouth OR, 14 May: Cody Thomas LJ 7.10m (0.0) PB (3).

AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon, Hyde Park, 15 May: Victoria Beck 1:20:54 (7).
Great Ocean Road Marathon, Lorne to Apollo Bay, 15 May: 23km, Ben Ashkettle 1:13:42 (1), went through the half marathon (21.1km) in 1:08:04.
Wandin 8km Cross Country, Melbourne, 7 May: Ben Ashkettle 26:49 (2).

OBITUARY
Prominent Wellington official and administrator John Riseborough died on Friday 22 April 2016 aged 87.
John was a past president and life member of Athletics Wellington. He was vice-president of NZAAA from 1979 to 1982 which was automatic when president of the Centre. John was elected to the management committee in 1979 and served continuously until 1986 when the structure changed, he was then elected to the Board of Athletics New Zealand for one term 1986-87. He was a council member for Wellington 1979-86. John was the last surviving member of Brooklyn Harriers and was later associated with the Victoria University Athletic Club. He was the Centre chairman of committees for five years and from 1993 he was the Centre Registrar. He was also the Centre officials co-ordinator and was a National Technical Official.