By MURRAY McKINNON
North Harbour Bays' Alan Bunce staked his claims for a Sydney Olympic Games berth in winning the New Zealand half-marathon title in Christchurch yesterday.
Bunce, on the comeback trail after a long career which has seen him take national 1500m and 5000m titles on the track as well as
the New Zealand road title, believes he has a chance to make the Olympic 5000m.
The selection standard is 13m 27s and 32-year-old Bunce will have lead-up races in Brisbane before contesting the Australian trials in Sydney in August.
Yesterday, Bunce was in top form on the flat out-and-back course, winning in 64m 16s. The chill factor was severe, with runners fighting heavy rain and a strong headwind on the return leg.
"It was so cold out there I was frozen over the last 6km, which was disappointing because I really wanted to run 62m," said Bunce.
Phil Costley, of Hastings but running for his Christchurch-based club, was second, 21s behind Bunce.
"My time is just 4s outside my best and I'm more than happy with that," said Costley. "It's a good lead-up for the marathon later in Australia."
Costley will attempt the Olympic marathon qualifying time, in a Gold Coast event, in three weeks' time.
Richard Potts, of Hastings, won the battle for third after a tussle with Chris Dagg, of Queenstown, and Allan Carman, of Dunedin. Potts, who will try to make the Olympic 10,000m in the Australian trials, recorded 65m 55s.
Sarah Christie won the women's section in 1h 15m 24s - 22s ahead of Nyla Carroll.
The Wellington pair matched stride for most of the race before Christie made a break heading towards the loop of Hagley Park.
Christie, 27, has been chasing the Olympic 5000m standard and feels that she has a show of cracking the qualifying time of 15m 32s.
"It will be a bit of a miracle but I will give it a shot," she said.
Defending titleholder Fiona McKee, of Dunedin, was third in 1h 18m 31s.
Allan Sinclair, of Ashburton, won the associated marathon event in 2h 33m 32s, and Raglan's Marion Millward the women's event in 2h 47m 28s.
