Lieffering puts ticker to the test in gut-buster

Rob Lieffering made a triumphant return to competitive running, shutting out other strong contenders in Hatea Harriers' gut-buster 16.5km race.
Starting from Colin and Carolyn Smith's home in Cemetery Road on Saturday the gut-buster encompassed Otaika Valley Rd to Maungatapere, State Highway 16, Newton Rd and rejoined State Highway 16 on the way back to Cemetery Road.
It is a popular final workout for those competing in the Kerikeri Half-Marathon (21.1km), on November 20, with more inclines that the half-marathon course, but runners and walkers also had the option of 2km or 6km out-and-back courses.
Lieffering was pleased with his performance after a break from running while suffering from worrying medical symptoms.
"I've been having a few tests on my old ticker so my running went downhill real quick," he said. "They put me on medication and I did a treadmill test yesterday and it (the medical problem) was under control, so that's good - I'll hopefully get back into it (running) and lose a bit of weight," he said.
Lieffering took the lead from the start opening-up a large gap by halfway.
"I looked back at Maungatapere and saw somebody away back and thought, I can ease up (but) further on, a guy in a black singlet (Greg Morris) was closing the gap. Another kilometre and he probably would have caught me," Lieffering said.
He held on, finishing in 1h 10m 20s, comfortably ahead of Morris in 1h 11m 29s.
Behind Morris, Richard Blogg took third, Jason Trass fourth, Max Smith fifth, Rob Dinsdale sixth, Harry Linford seventh, Cameron Trass eighth, Tony Langton ninth, Ron Esveld tenth, Tim Brown eleventh, Neville Rae twelfth and 86-year-old Colin Thorne thirteenth.
In the women's run, Janice Powell recorded 1h 25m 36s - the fastest women's time of the day - but she started early, running the course by herself. It was left to 63-year-old Annette Murray to take top honours in the women's race, in 1h 28m 38s.
Murray ran a well-judged race, hauling back Jackie Grant - at the top of Newton Road - at maybe the 9km or 9.5km mark.
Grant recorded 1h 29m 19s, heading off Helen Smith, Toni Daley, Robin Allen, Sue Shand, Michelle Morpeth, Pauline Dinsdale, Polly Barach and Maria Jackman.
In the 6km, 13-year-old James Edwards's 26m 44s was the standout performance of the day, bringing him home first well clear of experienced masters' runner Colin Smith, in 29m 30s. Kieran Ruffell - another young runner - took third, followed by Tom Hourigan fourth. Jessie Mortimer and Sarah Anderson shared top honours in the women's 6km, followed by Stella Hourigan.
In the 16.5km walk Jan Ruffell recorded 2h 21m, heading off Barbara Rose in 2h 41m; while in the 6km walk, Antoinette Smith dead-heated with Brian Barach for first, ahead of Anne Riceman, third.