Schools champs to bring 1500 to city

So much for Wanganui athletics guru Alec McNab taking it easy.

The Collegiate coach and former Athletics NZ president, who was supposed to be scaling back his commitments, has confirmed Wanganui will host the New Zealand Secondary School's Track and Field and Road Race championships next year.

The championships, being held at Cooks Gardens with the road race likely to be around Kowhai Park, will bring 1500 competitors from more than 200 schools to Wanganui in either the first or second weekend of December 2014.

Along with them will come various coaches, administrators and parents, creating an accommodation boom.

"It's not as glamorous as the NZ Track and Field [seniors] but there are many more competitors. It has a very big economic spin-off for the town," said McNab.

"We've got a good, long run-in period.

"It does help being on the [athletics] executive, but that's the way of the world. It's who you know.

"But we wouldn't get it if we didn't have a reputation for running things well."

Athletics NZ asked McNab if Wanganui could host and he made careful deliberations, booking Cooks Gardens for both weekend dates to make sure they can avoid clashes with NCEA exams and other local events.

He has also held discussions with Mayor Annette Main to garner support, and Tranzit Coachlines in Wanganui about possibly transporting South Island teams from Wellington Airport.

It will be the third time Wanganui has hosted these championships.

"The first was in 1996, after the track was built. I vowed I wasn't going to do another," said McNab of the logistical challenge.

The next time was 2007 and the "no vacancy" sign went up in town that weekend, as then-New Zealand Secondary School's Sports Council executive Peter Sharp discovered when he arrived on the Sunday. "He had to stay in Hawera, it's the nearest bed he could find," McNab said.

Wanganui athletes have often risen to the occasion of performing at home.

In 2007, the Collegiate 4 x 100m team won for the third successive year, while the Year 9 girls won their road race at Kowhai Park.

Angus Watson and Beatrice Kearney were named in the national road race team.

Wanganui also hosted the North Island secondary schools championships from 1998-2000.