Friday, 03 September 2010
AIDAN Campbell has taken out his first major Eastern Bay road title.
In this year’s Whakatane Harrier and Athletic Club road championships, staged at Poroporo on Saturday, he won the 10-kilometre distance in 36 minutes, 36 seconds ahead of veteran competitors Andrew Ross, 37.27, and Dave Chambers, 37.44.
Campbell said afterwards he felt good about the win and would now shift focus to his next goal, breaking the 60-minute mark in the vastly different King of the Mountain, at Kawerau. The annual assault on the 880-metre-high Putauaki is scheduled for October 30.
The road championship course began near Poroporo Park. Runners headed out and back along nearby Station Road, with a detour into Titoki Road for the 10km runners. Distances ranged from 2km for the juniors through to 10km for the seniors.
From the mass start Denny Adamson established himself at the head of the 4km field and Kieran Coates led the 6km runners – both went on to win, Adamson in 14.39 and Coates in 22.41. Campbell, Ross and Chambers established their stranglehold at the front of the 10km race, with Marina Fowell and Shona Steel leading the women’s field doing the longer distance.
In the 2km junior run, Regan Wilson came home in 9.03 ahead of Amber Knight and Jonathon Everett, separated by just two seconds. The remainder of the 15-strong field arrived progressively with Evelyn Barton, Emily Julian and Aaliyah Price only nine seconds apart at the finish.
The 5km distance was raced by veteran women in the 35-plus grade. Wendy Gatward was first to finish in 22.55, with Tracey Oliver next in 23.44.
Fowell kept up a torrid pace and finished in 41.40, sandwiched between Neil Spanhake, 41.32, and Neil Jones, 42.05. Steel took out 2nd place in 46.30. Graeme Everett threaded his way through the field after a delay at the start when one of his children fell on the road and still managed a creditable 39.25. Club captain Albert Hulse ran well, as did Brian Sisam and Kawerau’s Peter Wright.
The masters men 60-plus grade attracted five runners and Monty McComb was first to finish the 6km distance in 27.58. John Headford, Tom Bayliss, Ron Jones and Noel Jones ran well.
Tomorrow’s event will be the Bigwood Memorial series, starting at 1.30pm at Ohope’s Bluett Park.