Mathas needs to shave a fraction
Two new runners added to Whanganui venue’s 4 minute mile club
He delighted his home fans with another 800m victory, but expat Whanganui runner Brad Mathas finished a shade outside the track record and world championship qualification at the Sir Peter Snell International Track Meeting on Saturday evening.
The 25-year-old Mathas had come home with Melbourne team-mate Stephen Knuckey to run in the 12-man field, needing a 1m 45.8s time to book a place in Doha for the 2019 World Champs. That would have also eclipsed the 21-year-old Cooks Gardens record of 1m 46.72, set by Canterbury’s Shaun Farrell in 1998.
Mathas had a big field to run in, with a number of outside lanes holding two runners each to meet the starter’s gun.
The pacemaker was Wellington’s Rowan Blaikie, who led the field around the first lap, with Mathas content to sit in the middle of the pack and eventually work his way up to third.
It was understood later than Blaikie was to go as hard as he could through to about the 550m mark, but he tapered off around 450m, as Mathas made his move on the back stretch and began power into his work.
Knuckey was working hard as well to go with him and push Mathas through to the finish, as did Wellington’s James Preston.
Mathas ran hard for the finish, crossing the line and then waiting to hear that he had won in 1m 47.16s – his fastest time for 2019 but still short of both of his intended goals.
The lead group had been on the pace for the winner to go under the record during the first half of the race, but could not maintain it.
Mathas was still congratulated by a number of old friends and acquaintances, some of whom had not seen him run competitively before.
“That’s what it’s all about,” the Commonwealth Games representative said.
“It would have better if I got on the pace myself, instead of sitting third.
“Happy with it though, that’s the fastest time I’ve run in New Zealand.”
There was a record smashed in the main event of the One Mile Championship as Canberra’s Rorey Hunter and Tauranga’s Samuel Tanner became the 44th and 45th men to break the 4 minute mile at Cooks Gardens.
The race runner-up, Tanner, at 18 years old, became the youngest New Zealander to go under the 4 minute barrier at 3m 58.4s, which overtook the junior record for Cooks Gardens of 4m 1.32s, set by a young Nick Willis in January 2001.
Hunter seemed aware of the significance as he raised the teenager’s hand at the finish line.
The pair had a smaller field of runners to assist them as only seven of the original 10 in the programme were able to line up, with Whanganui’s Joseph Sinclair having the task of being the pacemaker.
Sinclair did a good job, going hard over the first two laps with Hunter and Tanner sitting comfortably behind him, as the leading five runners broke away from the trailing two, one of whom would pull out.
The Whanganui youngster pulled off the track after two of the four laps, and then at the bell for the final lap, Hunter and Tanner began to pull away from third-placed Melbourne runner Craig Huffer, who had Canterbury’s Sam Petty caught up behind him as they headed down the back stretch for the last time.
Petty passed Huffer, but Hunter was gone, with Tanner chasing hard about four lengths back.
The pace was coming on hard with 200m left and the crowd aware that both the leaders were currently under a 4 minute mile time.
Tanner closed the gap slightly in the finishing stretch, but Hunter was well clear to raise his hand as he crossed the line, finishing in 3m 57.5s.
The Australian was delighted to have made such a strong run, right in front of the statue of Sir Peter Snell.
“It’s incredible, that’s the reason I wanted to come over here, there’s so much history for this track.
“Thanks to the pace maker, he did a good job.
“I just had through.”
Petty chased hard over the final stages, but just dipped out on breaking the 4 minute barrier himself, finishing in 4m 1.47s.
to tow
these
guys