Athletes stumped by innacurate forecast
Weather forecasting is often hit and miss and the forecast for last Sunday let us down. With the forecast indicating the probability of rain, hail and possible thunderstorms, the decision was made to cancel the final round of the winter series in the interest of safety.
As it turned out these conditions did not occur, but the organisers’ decision was still the right one. With athletes travelling up to two hours to compete, the decision needed to be made early and conditions did not look ideal early in the morning.
Although we have an all-weather surface, the worn condition of the track can get slippery, making the jumping events in particular risky.
With the cancellation of this meeting, Zac Topping is confirmed as the series winner, Jordan Peters taking the runners-up prize, with Courtney Trow the third prize.
Others among the top 11 scoring athletes who are eligible for part of the prize pool were Renae Savill, Pavinee Watson and Jacob Aomarere-poole.
The AIMS Games are a festival of sport each year in Tauranga for intermediateaged children, with cross-country a sport contested on the opening day.
Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School is one of the schools competing in these events and team management has reported there was some awesome running in trying cold, raining conditions.
Special mention to Kylah Gunn with her sixth place result in the year 7 event and Georgie Furnell’s 10th in the year 8 race.
The effort was described as an awesome effort by all and even a couple carrying injuries still stuck it out and didn’t give up.
Feilding Moa made their annual trip to the Red Stag relay in Rotorua last Saturday.
The youth men’s team finishing second, the youth women’s team third and the masters men’s team fourth in their respective events.
Special mention must go to Hayley Cornwall for running the final leg for the youth women’s team, starting 10 seconds down on the leader, she was about to take the lead, only to lose her shoe and twist her ankle.
She bravely continued on hopping and hobbling the remaining 1.5km to the finish.
On Sunday several of the team returning from Rotorua took a deviation and caught up with Perry Newburn on his Cape-reingato-bluff fundraising run, accompanying him as he approached Cambridge.
To a lot of people, completing a marathon is an item off their bucket list, but to complete 150 marathons is something else.
The other weekend Pat Stichbury did just that when she completed the Kinloch off road marathon at Taupo¯ .
As the latest Feilding Moa newsletter said, that’s 6300km, the same distance as two return trips to Australia. Congratulations Pat.
A number of clubs are holding their annual general meetings in the next couple of weeks.
These meetings are important as they give members the chance to have some input into the direction they would like their club to proceed next season. Any suggestions are always welcome. It is also a chance to show your support for the work done in the past.
Most club constitutions have a quorum setting out the numbers required before an annual meeting can proceed, so your attendance in helping achieve this number is important.
What’s on. September 13: Athletics Manawatu¯ Wanganui AGM, Striders clubrooms, 7.30pm.
September 16: Manawatu¯ Striders road championships.
September 16: Feilding Moa handicap road race, Halcombe.
September 17: Feilding Athletic AGM, Feilding Yellows clubrooms, 2.30pm.
September 19: Palmerston North Athletic AGM, MCAT 7pm.
September 23: Feilding Moa road championships
September 30: Athletics NZ road relay championships, Rotorua.
October 3: Palmerston North Athletics opening night.