Athletics Insight: Whanganui equipment gives helping hand to top NZ sprinters

Tiaan Whelpton (centre) won the 100m final at the 2026 Sir Graeme Douglas International in 10.10s, equalling the New Zealand Resident record. Photo / David Rowland, Photosport.nz

Travelling north to Auckland for the Sir Graeme Douglas International with a photo finish camera as additional baggage was well worth the effort, as it made a real difference to New Zealand’s top male sprinter, Tiaan Whelpton.

As in Whanganui, the Trusts Arena in Henderson sprints can be held on both straights, allowing sprinters the opportunity to benefit from a tailwind.

At the Pak’nSave Classic in January, we also utilised not only a camera at the finish line on the back straight but also a mid-race camera at the 60-metre mark in the 100m race. This provided an additional opportunity to record a time at 60m for World Indoor Champs qualification. Athletes were pleased that this opportunity was provided, even though the tailwind was too strong for either records or world qualification.

On Friday, we were asked by the Sir Graeme Douglas organisers if they could borrow an additional camera from us to enable a time to be taken at 60m in the sprints, hence my additional luggage on my flight.

Zoe Hobbs posted a World Indoor qualifying time for 60m with her 7.18s despite a stiff head for her sprint. A few minutes earlier, Whelpton ran outside the world qualifying mark with a 6.63s performance in his 60m into a light headwind.

Later in the programme, Hobbs ran her 100m, stopping the clock at an impressive 10.99s with a time that would have set an All-comers and Resident Record had the wind not been above the allowable limit (3.4 metres per second, 1.4m per second above the legal limit).

Hobbs will travel to Poland, looking to once again reach the final, finishing fourth and sixth respectively in her past two appearances.

Whelpton won his 100m, equalling the New Zealand Resident record 10.10s. He had a recorded 60m mid-race split of 6.55s with a legal wind of 1.1m per second inside the World Indoor qualifying mark for the championships in Poland in March. We have some exciting sprinting ahead of us this summer.

The athletes responded to Russell Sears by email, thanking him for taking the trouble to ensure an additional camera was made available to enable a mid-race time to be recorded. It is always pleasing when athletes acknowledge the efforts of officials and administrators.

Tuesday was the first night of the Manawatū/Whanganui Centre Championships at Cooks Gardens, with the second week scheduled for the Massey Community Track in Palmerston North next Tuesday.

As so often this season, it was breezy but only a light zephyr in comparison to so many days this summer. The 90-minute programme provided some excellent competition in a championship that was part of the selection process for next month’s Athletic New Zealand Championships in Auckland.

The closest race of the season came in the women’s 800m with Holly Munday and Emma Verry battling the whole length of the home straight. Munday won by .097s in 2m 20.63s with Olivia Leckie completing a Palmerston North trifecta. Whanganui’s Tilly Darke was fourth.

The men’s event was another good race with Nat Kirk successfully continuing his step up to 800m, winning in 1m 57.97s from the fast-finishing Justin Cunningham (Palmerston North) in 1m 58.26s with Lennox Brotherton (Whanganui) running a personal best for third (2m 01.15s).

In the absence of Whanganui’s Jonathan Maples through injury, William Rolfe (Palmerston North) was a clear winner in the 200m, stopping the clock at 22.80s from Whanganui’s Lucas Bishop.

The Collette twins, Addira and Chayille, were clear winners in the women’s 200m (24.96s and 25.05s respectively) into a slight headwind.

Damian Hodgson won his 400m in 56.42s, just outside his season best, with Taylor Trow taking the women’s in 1m 07.29s in a combined race.

Grace Fannin (Whanganui) won the under-18 300m hurdles in 48.70s, an encouraging 2026 best. Bruce McGregor (Whanganui) won the under-18 males in 42.79s, just a smidgeon below his personal best.

In the 3000m, Xavier Brotherston won from Toby Gill (Whanganui). Their respective times of 10m 09.97s and 10m 16.10s were both personal bests – in Gill’s case by more than 30s. Hany Nakha (Feilding) and Sally Gibbs (Whanganui) were winners over 5000m.

Whanganui’s Lulu Dufty (long jump) and Isaac Ashworth (javelin) were impressive winners in their events, with Dufty jumping a legal 5.21m for a good personal best and Ashworth throwing his javelin out to a new personal best of 49.40m.

Centre competition continues in Palmerston North next Tuesday.