Athletes such as Jim Blair, with his favoured Aston Villa tracksuit, who turns 94 in May and never fails to impress with his athletics prowess. It was good to see regular participants such as Laurie Malcomson, Gary Rawson, Peter Crawford, Ian Morton, Dennis O’Leary, Peter Barnes and Mike Sheppard, to mention a few, who seem to defy the ageing process. Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe was an impressive winner in both triple jump and 60m in his grade.
Sally Gibbs, who only eight days earlier on the same track broke her own New Zealand Masters Mile record in the New Zealand Championships, was only slightly slower to head the combined women’s grade home but on Sunday that was just one part of her multi-event day in the sun.
Francie Bayler, who gives so much every week at Club Night as an official and as a coach and helper with the children’s competition, had a busy day competing in both track and field and was especially pleased with her efforts in the triple jump. The younger helpers know her well and were delighted it was their turn to officiate as she competed in the 80-84 grade.
On a personal level, it was great to catch up with former athletes such as Jo Mahoney and Joanne Merson who I coached many years ago and who still look so young and fit decades later.
In mentioning inspiring older athletes, I missed Katherine Switzer’s New Zealand Masters record (75-79 grade ) from the New Zealand Masters Mile Championships last week. The Masters Mile Championship was part of the Pak’nSave Cooks Classic. She has had a lifetime in the sport inspiring younger athletes, notably after the 1967 Boston Marathon as she wrestled with officials trying to prevent a woman from running. Women’s running never looked back and was the forerunner of the growth of women’s sports worldwide.
Parkrun continues to grow in Whanganui with 316 finishers in the past fortnight.
The weekly run at the Whanganui riverbank provides an opportunity for runners and walkers of all ages and abilities to participate, joining thousands of others around the world. The Whanganui record was reached at Vintage Weekend when 176 finished with a further 140 participating last Saturday. Oliver Jones headed the field in both. On the first weekend, he then ran straight to Cooks Gardens to help with set-up and later officiated throughout the Cooks Classic.
Jonathan Maples rounded off the Classic programme in great style. After his personal best by 0.7s win in the 400m hurdles at the Cooks Classic (52.05s), he dropped a distance to finish third in the top 200m at the Capital Classic in Wellington with a pleasing fastest time of 21.65s. It was a very windy evening with a huge tailwind to assist on the home straight but all had to run the bend into an equally strong wind. Maples rounded off his week in Hastings at the Potts Classic when he sliced half a second off his 400m time, stopping the clock at 47.57s, gaining respect as a sprinter and at the same time providing a confidence boost for his 400m hurdles. Maples travels to Auckland this weekend to run against international opposition in the Sir Graeme Douglas International in a strong international 400m hurdles.
It was pleasing to see Damian Hodgson win the B 400m at the Wellington Capital Classic with a personal best 51.61s while Juliet McKinlay competed well in hurdles, 200m and javelin following her personal best long jump in Whanganui. McKinlay was also prominent in Hastings.
The children’s term 1 programme has started at 4.30pm on Mondays. Club Nights continue on Tuesdays. Next Tuesday is combined with the MWA Championships. This follows a busy Club Night this Tuesday with more than 150 recorded performances in the 80-minute programme.
