Three back for 16th Jumbo Run

It will be just another day at the office for three competitors in the 24km Jumbo Holdsworth trail race on Saturday.
It is the 16th running of the popular event and Rob McCrudden and Owen Rowse, both of Wellington, and Kelly Holland, of Palmerston North, have contested all of the previous 15.
This time they will be part of a field which yesterday numbered 70 and is expected by organiser Liz Nicholson to grow to around the three figure mark by actual race day.
"There are always those who leave it to the last minute and then you have the weather, some people wait to see what that throws up before deciding whether they will compete or not," she said.
The Jumbo Holdsworth event starts at 8am from the Mr Holdsworth car park and proceeds through Donnelly's Flat to join the undulating Atiwhakatu track to Atiwhakatu Hut (7.5km). From there a steep ascent commences via the Rain Gauge track to reach Jumbo Hut (10km) before continuing to the Jumbo summit (1405m).
At the summit runners make a left turn at the marshalled sign to head south along the undulating main ridge to Mt Holdsworth Trig (14km and 1470m). Then they turn left again to commence the descent via Powell Hut (15.7km) and 1160m) to Holdsworth and the finish line, via the well-graded Gentle Annie track.
Last year it was Glenn Muirhead, of Wellington, who returned the fastest time of 2hrs 43mins 56secs, a strong effort but well outside James Coubrough's race record of 2hrs 16mins 8secs registered in 2008.
Muirhead is very unlikely to line up again on Saturday and Nicholson believes there will be no firm favourite for fastest time honours on this occasion although that could change when late entries come to hand.
Perhaps though this could be the year where a Wairarapa athlete pulls it off with Terry Blackburn, third in the veteran men's section last year, among the best-credentialled runners in a local contingent numbering over 20.
Held in conjunction with the Jumbo Holdsworth race will be the Hooper Line event, which is raced over 12km. It too starts at the Mr Holdsworth car park and proceeds through Donnelly's Flat and along the Atiwhakatu track for 4km before turning left on to the River Ridge track where runners will ascend to the Gentle Annie track junction. From there the runners will make the descent via the Gentle Annie track to Holdsworth Lodge and the finish.
Fastest time for the Hooper Loop 12 months ago was returned by talented Palmerston North youngster Sean McCrudden (son of Rob) who clocked 57mins 19secs. He will be returning to defend his title and his main opposition may well come from brother Matt, third last year in 66mins 54secs.