Awesome Ogilvie master of the medals

Rotorua's Trevor Ogilvie surprised even himself by grabbing seven golds and setting two games records at the Oceania Masters Athletics championships in Tauranga last week.

The 63-year-old middle distance runner said there was tough competition at the week-long event, which attracted over 450 athletes from 14 countries.

"I was hoping to do well in a couple of events but I didn't expect to do that well because even though I have been training hard I have had a couple of hiccups [in his preparation]," he said.

Competing in the 60-64 age group, Ogilvie broke Oceania records in the 5000m and 2000m steeplechase, in which he smashed the existing mark by 25 seconds. His other golds were for the half marathon, cross-country and 1500m as well as two New Zealand team medals.

He is shortly off to work in Australia for a couple of months, forcing him to miss next month's New Zealand Masters. However, he won't be slacking off.

"I happened to notice the Australian Masters are on in Melbourne while I am there so I thought I would give that a go," he said. "It's good racing against the Aussies."

Ogilvie, who only took up running around the age of 50, loves athletics and hopes to run for many years to come.

"There are a lot of guys in their 70s and 80s competing that are still incredible to watch, he said. "I would love to carry on as long as I can. My attitude is I want to live as long as I can and enjoy life."

His Lake City Athletic Club clubmate Karyn McCready (W40-44) also had a successful week, bringing home one gold and three silver medals. However, the Rotorua athlete said she wasn't completely satisfied with her results.

"I was not as fit as I hoped as I have had a few injuries. I was disappointed with my times," she said.

McCready's gold came in the half marathon with silver medals in the 5000m and two relay events. She was frustratingly pipped for a medal in the shot put, javelin, 400m, 1500m and cross-country.

"Too many fourths," she said. "I was disappointed with the cross-country especially - I thought I had finished third but then found out I was fourth."

McCready hopes to get her revenge at the national masters in Auckland next month although she has not yet decided on which events to focus.

"I am entering a lot of stuff but whether I run will depend on how I feel," she said. "It would be good to beat the ones that beat me on the weekend."

Ogilvie and McCready said one of the best things about masters athletics was the camaraderie and friendships formed at events.

Lake City's Pam Kenny said masters athletes (30 years and over) made up over 50 per cent of the club's adult membership, with their eldest in the 70+ category.

"We have members of varying abilities from Trevor Ogilvie's level right down to the everyday person.

"The introduction of masters events in the mid-1970s has encouraged people to stay on competing whereas before if you wanted to stay in the sport you had to become an official or something like that," she said. "Masters are an important part of our sport."