Runner blitzes champ’s
Hilltop School’s Sophie Webber is the fastest young female in the country, winning the under11 category at the New Zealand Cross Country Champs last week.
The Taupo Harrier Club runner blitzed her competition, pulling into the finish-line with a 9-second lead.
A spokesperson for the Harrier Club said Sophie was the club’s first National Cross Country champion.
Sophie said the 2000 metre Auckland Domain course was winding, hilly and soaked in rain. She held her place in second, for the first 500m. ‘‘As I went up the hill, I passed her, and then stayed in the lead for the rest of the race,’’ Sophie said.
Boys ran in the July 29 race too, and Sophie was the fourth runner in overall.
Sophie’s advice to other racers: ‘‘When you’re going up the hill, most people reach the top and then relax at the top. But I keep running fast,’’ she said.
‘‘Instead of pushing up the hill, push over the hill.’’
Dick Quax, who won silver medals at the 1970 and 1976 Olympic Games, presented Sophie with her gold medal.
The Year 6 pupil also met gold-medal-winning triathlete Hamish Carter.
Sophie’s mother Clare Webbing said her daughter just loves sport and is committed to doing her best. ‘‘She does every sport she can get her hands on – running, swimming, triathlon, duathlon, tennis, hockey and soccer.’’
Sophie comes from long-distance stock, with her mother and father both racing in Ironman competitions and both travelled to Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
‘‘The kids have always been around sport and it’s always been a part of their lives,’’ Clare said.
‘‘They’ve just grown up thinking an active and sporty life is normal, which is great.’’ Winning wasn’t everything though, she said. ‘‘We compete for the lifestyle, the enjoyment, the travel, meeting people and the camaraderie you get from training with people – rather than competing to win, necessarily.’’