Big night awaits for fastest kids

Victory in a heat for the Fastest Kid on the Block by 10-year-old Genna Maples (centre) yesterday was academic, she won't be available for the final at the Cooks Classic next week. Photo/Stuart Munro

The latest squad of Fastest Kids on the Block (FKOB) have been found and will face off in several age group finals during the annual Cooks Classic in Wanganui on Wellington Anniversary Monday.

There were four qualifying events this week in four different suburbs with the leading athletes invited to compete in the evening programme at the Cooks Gardens Classic next week.

The four Moore Law FKOB children's races at the Classic will be age handicapped with medals for the winners and an offer of athletic club membership included in the package. There are gifts for participants at the preliminary meetings.

Cooks Classic organiser Alec McNab the event had proved popular with parents and children alike and was an ideal vehicle to showcase the youngsters' athletic talents.

"The FKOB is one of only two Cooks Classic events open to the general public, the other is a 2km road race starting and finishing on the track at Cooks Gardens with a sprint around the block in between," McNab said.

"We have a good number of youngsters qualified for the FKOB finals and while there will be a few name runners in the road race, the field will be mainly made up of ordinary people off the street.

People who enter the road race also get entry to the main Cooks Classic events later that evening."

McNab said while a few quick kids had been discovered, one who competed and qualified for the finals during yesterday's Peat Park heat, would, unfortunately, not be competing on Anniversary Monday.

"Ten-year-old Genna Maples will be on holiday with her family, but she has just returned from the North Island Colgate Games in Whangarei where she performed extremely well," McNab said.

"Genna won her age group 100m, 200m, and long jump and finished second in the high jump. She is a talented young athlete who has a bright future."

The FKOB finals will begin at 7.50pm at Cooks Gardens next Monday.