Athletics Insight: Round the Lake Relay resurrected

Whanganui Collegiate's New Zealand Schools International George Lambert (in blue) closes in on the lead in the 2019 race. Photo / Supplied

The week ahead marks two significant anniversaries

Next week is the 21st birthday of Athletics Insight and it is 45 years since the first Round the Lake Relay. Monday sees the 42nd edition of the event which returns after 2020 and 2021 cancellations due to Covid-19.

I wrote my first Insight in September 2001 following the IAAF final in Melbourne, the precursor to today's Diamond League final. It was a sensational three-hour meeting and one year after the successful Sydney Olympics featured many world record holders and 12 Olympic champions.

For the first few years I only wrote in summer with just the occasional winter article. However, when my colleague, the late Peter Irvine started an outstanding weekly rowing column, I felt the pressure and responded with a weekly article, which apart from a fortnight around Christmas, I have continued for the past 15 years. I have felt it important to highlight the success of our outstanding young athletes and to reflect on athletics beyond Whanganui.

On a Sunday walk around our magnificent Virginia Lake in 1978 I reflected on how much I had enjoyed running in the Hyde Park Relays in London as a Loughborough University student. The Hyde Park Relays involved teams of four running a lap each of the Serpentine in Hyde Park. It was a highlight of my season and I realised a schools relay around Virginia Lake had the potential to be a similar highlight for schools. From humble beginnings when 58 teams from 12 schools attended the 1978 event it quickly grew reaching a peak during the late 1980s when close to 200 teams from more than 40 schools competed.

The move from the three-term year to four saw a change in the date of the event from July to September. This change was not popular with some schools as the September date closely followed national tournament week. Alternatives were looked for but all presented problems and we have stayed with the first Monday in September.

It is three years since the event was last held due to Covid. Resurrecting an event is never easy and it is pleasing to see some new schools this year and there is an increase in team numbers. At close of entry, we have 134 teams from 30 schools. Combined with the school event Whanganui Collegiate has additional teams from the four Houses running in three boys' and girls' grades in the House competition.

Relays are all about the team. The first and second races cater for intermediate schools, Year 9 and junior B with the girls race at 1.40pm and the boys at 2.25pm. The third and fourth races are for junior A teams and senior teams - girls at 3.10pm and boys at 3.55pm. There are only two individual prizes and these have traditionally been awarded to the fastest boy and girl in their respective first leg of the senior races. Prizes are sponsored by Bates Watchmakers and Pak'nSave.

Wellington Girls' College performed very well at New Zealand Schools across all grades winning the senior girls three and six to score with Whanganui Collegiate second in both. The two are expected to head the senior field. At junior level the Wellington team finished second in the three to score with Whanganui Collegiate fourth and in the six to score Wellington were second and Whanganui Collegiate third. Wellington Girls' College also won the Year 9 girls at the New Zealand Schools Championships. In all grades New Plymouth Girls' High School will ensure that things are competitive at the front of the field.

In the senior boys Whanganui Collegiate and Wellington College had a close battle in Nelson in June with the Round the Lake hosts finishing fourth to Wellington's fifth in the three to score and Whanganui Collegiate second in the six to score with Wellington College fourth. New Plymouth Boys' High School were third in Nelson and will ensure an epic battle on Monday. Wellington College are favoured in the other boys' grades. There is strong local interest in the intermediate schools grades with many local entries.

There will be six athletes competing who have just returned from the Australian Championships in Adelaide as New Zealand Schools representatives; two girls from Wellington Girls' (Kate McHardy and Ava Sutherland), two girls from Whanganui Collegiate (Louise Brabyn and Amy McHardy) and Emma Ferguson from Nga Tawa. Daniel Sinclair from Whanganui Collegiate was in the boys' team. The McHardy twins could be battling with Fergusson for the fastest lap in the girls race. Amy McHardy was 7th in Australia in the under-17 with sister Kate 8th and Brabyn 13th. Ferguson was 14th in the under-20 and Sinclair was 15th in the under-18s.

The Monday action starts at Virginia Lake at 1.40pm.