City pair likely to dominate road race

Athletics Whangarei's Ian
Calder and Ady Ngawati
are expected to outclass
other competitors in the
2010 Northland Road
Running Championships on
Saturday.
Calder is fresh from the
Oceania Championships
 where he won gold in the
800m, 1500m and half-
marathon in the 50-54 age-
group; while Ngawati's
training is on target  for
the Legend's Marathon,
on September 18, when
she will defend the title
she won last year.
Saturday's Harris
Road course is out-
and-back over a
gentle rise and,
according to
organiser Colin
Smith, it is a
fast course.
Probable contenders for
overall placings after
Calder are Whangarei's
Mike Gowing, Tim
Goodwin, Mark Turner,
Richard Blogg, Chris
Seeley, Fred Needham and
Max Smith and,
going on recent
form, Hatea's Rob
Dinsdale, Neville
Bassett and John
Dent.
The under-17
men's event
promises to be an
exciting race
fought out by
Whangarei
Athletics' Cam
Shelley, James
Edwards and
Ethan Carter, and Hatea's
Harry Linford, with
Whangarei's Travis
Connelly  ready to pick off
any runner who weakens.
Women challenging for
the minor places after
Ngawati are likely to
include Whangarei's
Denise Limby, Leigh
Ruddock, Christine Fraser,
Tina Maher, Pamela Latter,
Janice Powell, Estelle Tiller
and Delwyn Smith; and
Hatea's Judith Bradshaw.
Imogen Hull of
Whangarei is considering
entering up two grades in
the women's under-20 race
over 5km, instead
of the under-14
race over 3km.
That will open the
door for
Whangarei's
Megan de Klerk
to take the girls'
under-14 title.
Whangarei's
Portia Olney-
Kemp and Hatea's
Lakeishea
Cummings will  be
chasing the girls'
2km under-12 title.
In the Masters' grades,
the men's 50-54 years will
be a hard fought
competition between
Whangarei's Gowing,
Seeley and Smith; together
with Hatea's Dinsdale and
Bassett.
If  John Kent, Hatea, and
Fred Needham, Whangarei,
front up in the men's 60-64,
an uncompromising battle
for gold can be expected. 
In the 65-69 category
Whangarei's Jimmy
Kettlewell and Tony
Langton will  be chasing
gold, with Rob Griffin
ready to pounce if either
falters.
The master men 70-74
will also be an interesting
race with the nuggety Dave
Eastmond and the tireless
Neville Rae  going for gold.
The master women's
55-59 grade is likely to
produce a keenly contested
race with Tina Maher,
Whangarei, the likely
winner and Judith
Bradshaw, Hatea, and
Nancy Bowmar Whangarei,
challenging.
All races start at the
corner of Harris and
Adams Roads, with the
first at 12.30pm.
Late entries can be
made from 11am at the
Whareora Hall.
 Non-registered runners
are welcome but are not
 eligible for any award.