Fast times posted at road champs
Beaconsfield Valley Road provided another great rural venue for the Feilding Moa Harrier Club’s road championships at the weekend.
The out-and-back course is always a fast one and provided many athletes with personal bests.
Honours went to Paige Hills (Mini Moas), Bella Ives (girls), Liam Wall (boys), Benjamin Wall (colts), Jack Finlay (under20), Tessa Webb (junior women), Tamara Reed (women), AJ Cornwall (men) and Jim Mcintyre (walk).
At prize giving the mostimproved girl was Eden Duker and most-improved boy was Connor Hills.
Trophy winners were: girls: Lucy Evans; boys: Kaden Reynolds/angus Paterson; colts: Karl Werner; junior men: David Martin; junior women: Tessa Webb; women: Shirley Fotheringham; men: Mike Ives.
The Palmerston North Athletic and Harrier Club held their annual meeting last week.
George Mcconachy (president), Vanessa Story (secretary) and Darren Gray (treasurer) were all reappointed.
There is a change in club captains, with Jordan Peters and Pavinee Watson elected as the track and field captains and Lance Gray continuing as the harrier club captain.
Shaun Popow was reappointed as the children’s coordinator.
Zac Topping and Quin Hartley join Brian Curry, Courtney Story, David Lovelock, Tara Rolfe, Mal Thomas, Callum Mcconachy, Alan and Raewyn Adamson on the club committee.
It is pleasing to see a good mix of experience here, with active athletes making up more than half the people guiding the club’s future,
The club’s opening night is Tuesday, October 4, with the popular run jump throw programme (for under 7s) beginning the following week on October 11.
Karina Gemmell, who leads this programme, will be at the track on opening night and is encouraging parents to come and register their child and she will answer any questions they may have.
A question often asked is how much does it cost to take part in athletics.
Palmerston North club fees start at $20 for 4 year olds and under, $25 (5 and 6 year olds), $50 (7-10 year olds), $60 (11-14 year olds), $80 (13 to 17 year olds), $100 (18-19 year olds) and $110 for senior and masters athletes.
These fees include registration with the national body and cover the season from April 1 through to March 31.
I was surprised when I compared our fees to those charged by the club I have an association with in Australia.
The Macquarie Hunter Club in Newcastle appears to have similar facilities to ours in Palmerston North.
They are based at the Glendale complex, which has a recently resurfaced Spartan allweather track.
Their fee for tots to under 17 is $160 for one child, $315 for two children and $465 for three children.