Ruamahanga Ramblers stage first winter road race

The Ruamahanga Ramblers staged their first road race of the winter on Saturday with Thomas Westgarth and Steve Britland both showing the benefit of regular training and turning in strong efforts.
Results, in order of actual time and handicap times:-
2km: Matthew Furkert 8.30, 7.10; Aidan Furkert 8.47. 7.07; Alex Megaw 8.52, 6.42; Hannah Lang 9.10, 7.40; Jessica Duthie 12.23, 6.03; Lucy Britland 12.27, 5.27; Xanthe Furkert 12.38, 5.38; Samantha Duthie 14,10, 6.10; Cody Sage 14.17, 6.52; Antecila Grkinic 18.45, no handicap time; Tracy Duthie 20.12, no handicap time.
5km: Scott Gray 27.38, no handicap time; Gary Gray 28.28, no handicap time; Tracey Furkert 34.26, 26.36; Tina Bailey 34.28, 25.43; Ali Lang 36.14, 25.49; Norm Wilton 36.14, 26.14.
8.745km: Paul Furkert 36.14, 36.14; Steve Britland 36.55, 35.35; John Sage 38.48, 36.09; Thomas Westgarth 39.12, 33.12; Greg Lang 40.19, 36.24; Nicholas Bailey 43.06, 38.26; Ray Wallis 43.37, 35.37; Wendy Wills 52.42, 36.42; John Cromarty 52.42, 38.42.
Bitterly cold weather and a cold southerly blowing into the faces of the participants on the uphill section of the course on all five laps meant times were slower than usual in the Wellington Masters 8km road races held on Sunday. Quite unusual in Masters events is for a father-and-son to be competing, but Ray and Glen Wallis were the exception to that rule on this occasion. Glen, did not wait for his dad, placing third overall and second in the 40yrs plus age group in 38min 3secs while Ray, from the Ruamahanga Ramblers, was first in the 65yrs plus age group in a time of 41min 54secs.
This coming Saturday will see the Ramblers stage an event along the new Masterton recreational trail and runners are to assemble at the Wallis residence at 1.45pm. Next Sunday is the Triple Peaks Challenge hosted by Scottish Harriers and from all accounts a group which have survived the previous two races John Sage, Steve Britland, Greg Lang and Michael Duthie are going to try their luck again. It will be the first time the new strip of the Ruamahanga Ramblers will be on show, a bright red singlet with the Ramblers logo adorned in white lettering.