Max Spencer. PHOTO/FILE
ATHLETICS
Youth was very much to the fore in the A grade race when the second race in the ACM Masterton Harriers’ 2018 cross-country series was held last Sunday.
One of the country’s top age group athletes, Max Spencer, was first home, clocking 31 minutes, 51 seconds for the 8km, and another talented youngster, Kosta Mills, was third in 35:31.
Splitting them was the ever-consistent Michael Macklin who was just 15 seconds adrift of Spencer.
The course, adjacent to the property of Dominic and Robyn Green on Bluff Rangitumau Rd, featured undulating terrain with a somewhat steeper climb towards the end. The last 300m was along Bluff Rangitumau Rd itself to complete a 2km loop.
The A grade runners were required to complete four laps of the course for a total of 8km, while remaining adult runners and walkers did three laps [6km].
Juniors ran two laps [4km] and intermediates one lap. The underfoot conditions were soft, but only rarely muddy.
The weather was overcast, but dry and remarkably mild – quite different from the dire forecasts of earlier in the week. There were 83 participants across all grades.
B grade had another youthful winner with Jack Britland taking the race in a time of 30:04 for 6km, with Bush Harriers’ Dave Harman second in 30:35 and Sue Bankier third in 30:48. Bankier was the handicap winner, followed by Rachel Gawith and Harman.
Richard Hawkes won C grade [6km] by almost a minute with a time of 33:59 with Wayne Robinson second in 34:57 and Steve Britland more than another minute further back in 36:04. Robinson took maximum handicap points from Andi Bond and Norm Chu.
Andrew Booth triumphed in D grade, completing the 6km in 40:10 with Jenny Braaksma [40:32] in second place and Miranda Barton [40:35] third. Braaksma had the best of the handicap ahead of Barton with Jane Flowerday third.
The walkers, led by Tim Bird, set a good pace over the course. Bird won with a time of 43:55 for 6km and also took the handicap. Brian Sanders was second in 44:09 and third in the handicap.
Third place in the race went to Kim Register in 46:26, while third place in the handicap was taken by Gillian Atkinson.
Jordan Robinson was the best junior, winning this race with a time of 17:42 for 4km, ahead of Flynn Register [18:20] and Brook Miller [21:52]. However, Brook Miller won the handicap from Jordan Robinson with Jamie Blackburn third.
The intermediate race was won by Jack Thompson in 10:24 for 2km, followed by Lachie Duffy [10:32] and Jacquelyn Murray [10:40] with Murray taking the handicap honours from Isla Roberts and Lachie Duffyd.
- The next race in the series will be on May 13 starting at the ACM clubrooms at the Sportsbowl.
