Athletics: $8000 at end of Waitakere mile

Middle-distance hopefuls will be chasing a sub four-minute mile as well as a big payout in the inaugural mile race at Waitakere Stadium on Saturday night.

With the incentive of $8000 in prizemoney, Tom Mayo, Ben Ruthe, Dale Summerville and Gareth Hyett should provide an exciting race.

Mayo is the fastest in the field with a best mile of 3m 55.1s.

Now living in Auckland, he represented England at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, where he ran eighth in the final of the 1500m.

Ruthe, the New Zealand road champion and 2002 New Zealand 1500m champion, has a best 1500m time of 3m 41.22s.

Summerville, a world university games 5000m representative in Turkey in August, has run 1500m in 3m 44.1s.

Hyett, New Zealand 800m champion for the last two years, has a best 1500m of 3m 51.60s.

Also on the programme is a women's 5000m race featuring world mountain running champion Kate McIlroy, who will attempt to beat 15m 25s to secure an early qualifying performance for selection to the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

- NZPA