Cash bonus spices mile

By JARED DENNNIS jared.dennis@wanganuichronicle.co.nz
The lure of $1000 for a sub four-minute mile has drawn a competitive elite men's field for next month's Mayoral Mile in Wanganui.
Last year's two standouts, winner Nick Willis and Australian Craig Mottram, won't be back, with Willis getting over a leg injury and Mottram choosing to concentrate on longer distances as he builds to the cross-country world championships.
Athletics Wanganui chairman Fred Holmes said although the field not might contain the stars of last year it will still be a top class spectacle.
"It gives us the opportunity to bring New Zealand's top resident athletes to the fore, as it is a good opportunity to pick up some good prize-money," he said.
"We also have been able to draw some class athletes from Australia and the UK so there will be a number of them looking to go under four minutes."
And the four-minute barrier is the big focus of this year's elite men's field.
The organisers have added a new dimension to the prize-money in an attempt to attract a more complete and competitive field, offering $1000 to any runner in the elite men's who goes under four minutes. In the women's, the mark is 4min.30s.
"With Willis and Mottram there last year the others were a bit put off because they knew they couldn't beat them. "Last time New Zealand runners Gareth Hyett and Paul Hamblyn finished fourth and fifth, both going under four minutes, so this will be more incentive for those runners. "With $1000 up for grabs we are expecting seven or eight runners to go under four minutes."
There is still the big prize of $10,000 on offer for the fastest time on the day, which has been an obvious attraction to a number of Australians in the field plus a couple from the UK who are currently based in Melbourne training with Mottram and his coach Nic Bideau.
Based on personal bests, English Commonwealth Games representative Andrew Baddeley will be the one to beat, with a mile time of 3.56.13 and a 1500m of 3.36.43 to his credit.
Australian Corey Tucker is the next best of the international runners, with a best 1500m time of 3.38, while the rest of the visiting Australians all sit around the 3.41 mark for the distance.
Local hopes will lie with the country's best resident 1500m runner, Gareth Hyett, who has gone under four minutes for the mile and has a 1500 personal best of 3.40.50.
The other big hope is New Zealand Commonwealth Games rep Paul Hamblyn, who also went under four minutes in last year's mile and has a 1500m PB of 3.38.07.
Organisers are still working toward naming a women's field and expect to do that in the next week or so. The Mayoral Mile is on at Cooks Gardens on March 17.
Men's elite Mayoral Mile field: Andrew Baddeley (England), David Campbell (Ireland), Paul Hoffman (Aust), Jeff Risely (Aust), Gareth Hyett (NZ), Paul Hamblyn (NZ), Jason Stewart (NZ), Carl McKenzie (NZ), Rees Buck (NZ), Ben Ruthe (NZ), Richard Olsen (NZ), Aunese Curreen (Samoa). TBC: Collis Birmingham (Aust), Corey Tucker (Aust).