Classic in fine nick minus Willis

SPEARHEAD: World-class javelin thrower Stuart Farquhar will be an exciting attraction at the Cooks Classic in Wanganui on January 20.PHOTO/FILE

THE annual Wanganui Cooks Classic is still being billed as a quality athletic track and field event despite the absence of star runner Nick Willis.

Event organiser Alec McNab said Willis was overseas and could not commit to the senior men's mile this season, but he assured fans the meeting would still feature established stars in various disciplines on January 20.

"We will still hold the senior men's mile, although Nick Willis cannot attend," McNab said yesterday. "It will be a chance for others to put their hand up. I'm not sure if they will run sub-four minutes, but they will go close. We are still planning a slickly run 95 minutes of quality action."

McNab said pole vaulting would also be missing from the programme, but the St Johns Club Invitational Javelin competition would be an exciting spectacle.

"We have some of the best throwers competing, including the durable Stuart Farquhar who has represented New Zealand at Olympic, Commonwealth Games and World Championship level for many years. He will be joined by New Zealand Schools junior winner Aiden Smith, Opetini Dryden, who is also a schools medallist, and the very promising Ben Langdon-Burnell.

"The event will also feature some of our top women, including Farquhar's experienced coach Debbie Strange."

McNab said all would be throwing for personal bests, but the event would also include a handicap competition.

"We will be running two scoreboards - one showing their actual distances and the other their handicap performance based on their best throws. This will be a popular spectator event."

Another popular event, the Fastest Kid on the Block, will feature again this year with qualifying heats being run at Springvale Park on Tuesday and Williams Domain in Wanganui East on Thursday next week. Both will be held at noon. McNab urged parents and caregivers to bring their kids along in an attempt to qualify in age groups.

"There will also be some high-quality high and triple jumpers competing and the usual handicap 400m races. And, of course, the men and women's 3000m event is very popular. Our own Geordie Beamish will return in search of yet another national title."

The event is part of the three classic meetings over the week, kicking off with the Sylvia Potts Classic in Hastings on Saturday, January 17, the Cooks Classic on the 20th and the Capital Classic on Friday, January 23.

The 25th Young Olympian Camp, started in 1990, will also feature in Wanganui. All but three editions of the programme have been held in the River City.

"This year, we are repeating the Classic Young Olympian Tour started in 2011, which sees a group of leading school-age athletes tour all three classic meetings. There are supporting activities at all meetings and mentoring from experienced New Zealand athletes," McNab said.

The Cooks Classic on Tuesday, January 20, will start at 7.15pm at Cooks Gardens.