Regular parkrunner Brian Dunne heads a group at the start of the 150th Whanganui Riverbank Parkrun. Photo / Nico Smit
Last week brought a couple of milestones. On Saturday the Whanganui Riverbank Parkrun held its 150th run and last Tuesday at club night at Cooks Gardens, the numbers who have competed this season at club nights rose to 83.
There were 70 participants in the 150th Whanganui Parkrun and, although many weeks were lost to Covid-19 lockdowns, since the first run in 2020 the event has gone ahead every Saturday at 8am from the grassy area by 162 Taupo Quay.
The popular and attractive course follows the riverbank walkway right up to the market before returning.
Over the 150 editions of the weekly event, there have been over 6500 finishers and over the past months the average number has steadily increased.
The Whanganui Riverbank Parkrun owes much to the organisation of Judy Mellsop. She has completed 81 parkruns, 43 of which have been in Whanganui, and she has volunteered on countless Saturdays.
For the 150th she was again run director, even though seated following a broken leg.
The 150th was held in perfect conditions and Mellsop reflected that very few of the 150 runs had been affected by rain, and these were on the occasions when she was out of town.
I have been at almost half of the 150 events and I can’t remember a rainy Saturday. For the record, Glenn Haden was first home at the 150th, followed by former Olympian Lucy Oliver (nee van Dalen), who celebrated her birthday with a solid performance.
Tuesday club nights have not been so fortunate, with weather affecting four of the seven held this season.
Last week’s B programme saw the rain stop half an hour before the 6.45pm start. The club has been encouraged by the positive response of athletes especially considering the inclement weather at so many club nights.
Last week it was a welcome back to former club captain Travis Bayler, who appears to be in good shape.
In the 200m, Bayler proved too strong for the chasing group of Damian Hodgson, Thomas Gowan, Zak Papworth, Oliver Toohey and Filipe Bayly.
Samuel Hermann, on his return from Hungary, had an encouraging win in the B200m race, stepping down a distance from 400m - and this week he ran a personal best over 300m of 37.66.
Grace Fanin won the female 200m last week while Isla Jones, following in her New Zealand Schools International representative sister Maggie’s footsteps, won the 80m hurdles.
Lulu Dufty continues to show promise in the long jump with a strong performance last week and had her first 10m winning triple lump with a 10.09m leap this week.
Last week’s Swedish Relay (100m ‚300m, 200m, 400m) attracted nine teams, with 36 athletes enjoying the training opportunity and the team aspect of the sport.
Team Sinclair won the relay, with Daniel Sinclair holding off the strong challenge of Travis Bayler (Team Bayler).
Sinclair demonstrated how club night can be used as a useful training evening. The New Zealand under-20 1500m champion started the evening with an under-distance 200m, in which he won his heat (26.06).
Five minutes later he ran as pace for the first 400m for his cousin James Hercus in the 800m. This was followed less than 10 minutes later with the aforementioned 400m anchor leg and the Bayler challenge.
Sinclair ran one more 400m lap after this final club night.
This Tuesday Sinclair won the 600m in an outstanding personal best 1:22:39.
Hercus should be encouraged with last week’s 800m after a solo final lap in less than clement weather.
Hercus backed this up with a personal best 600m this week (1:24.95). Brendon Sharratt won the 3000m, with Sally Gibbs second.
Gibbs went on to run on her own to 5000m in preparation for 10,000m on Saturday in Wellington.
Gibbs added the Masters 60-64 New Zealand 10,000m with a world record-breaking performance (subject to ratification).
This followed the New Zealand Masters (60-64) 3000m record set the previous Saturday at the Central Teams Meeting at Cooks Gardens.
Athletics action switches to Masterton at the weekend and the final week of the Central Teams Competition.
Whanganui had won the second of the three meetings at Cooks Gardens on November 11, coming from the cellar in the opening round in Inglewood.
The club had hoped for a repeat in Masterton, and to accumulate enough points to challenge for overall supremacy.
A hamstring injury (hopefully minor) to New Zealand Champion 400m hurdler Jono Maples and with a number of athletes unavailable, this will be a challenging mission.