Powerful final lap leads Moa to relay win
A stunning effort on the final lap led Feilding Moa to their first win at the Victoria University cross-country relay at Kāpiti.
Wellington Scottish were favourites for the running event at Queen Elizabeth Park, Paekākāriki on Saturday, but the fourperson Feilding Moa team PNorty produced a great come-from-behind win to beat the favourites, a first for the club.
The run was on a 3.5km undulating course, and Feilding got off to a great start, with Harry Dixon recording the fastest lap of the day in 11 minutes 46 seconds, an 11-second gap over Wellington Scottish.
On the second and third legs, Scottish took the lead, but Feilding’s Josh DunstanBrown and Samuel Stichbury limited the damage to 43 seconds sitting in third place behind Wellington Scottish and Wellington Harriers.
The final runner for Feilding, George Varney, attacked the final lap with a time of 11m 57sec, the third-fastest of the day overall, and regained the lead with about 1.5km to go.
Feilding took the win 23 seconds ahead of Wellington Scottish.
Feilding had other success, with the masters women 35-plus team of Karis Rae, Juanita Paterson, Wendy Cottrell-Teahan and Dorota Starzak finishing second.
In the children’s 2km races, Lucie Thomson was second in the under-10 race, older sister Mia won the under-12s, and Will Sablerolle-Stone won the under-14 boys.
Feilding Moa are enjoying a record season, with more than 230 members registered. The next race on the club calendar is the Vautier Cups at Valley Rd, Colyton on Saturday, May 28.