Athletics: Counties women take road relay title

By MURRAY McKINNON

Counties Manukau won their first national road relay running title with a convincing victory in the senior women's event in Christchurch.

To round out a successful day, Counties also scored a silver medal in the senior men's relay over the same gruelling eight-lap, 77.3km course from the Sign of the Takahe to Akaroa.

In the women's event, Leah Hirschfeld ran a well-controlled roller-coaster first lap to finish just 39s behind national mountain running champion Carline MacDonald of Wellington.

But with Kimberley Smith's gutsy run from Allandale over the hill to Gebbies Valley, Counties held an 8s lead, which Rachel Penney extended on lap three and Catherine Roberts-Swain maintained on the run alongside Lake Forsyth. National road champion Sarah Christie pushed Counties out to a 4 minute lead on the tough 11.1km slog into an almost gale force wind.

Sally Ward took Counties over the hill and Vanessa Nikora handed over to Lee-Ann McPhillips at Duvauchelle with a 7 minute lead. McPhillips, twice national road champion, had no trouble anchoring them home for a win on the 25th anniversary of the national relays.

Counties recorded 4h 55m 1s, with Hill City second and North Harbour Bays third.

World mountain running champion Melissa Moon, in superb form, carved 42s off her own last lap record to cover the 10km in 35m 18s, for Scottish, who finished 12th.

Scottish of Wellington, with the help of US-based Michael Aish and Sydney-based Blair Martin, demolished the senior men's relay, winning by a margin of nearly 10min over Counties.

With John Henwood, Todd Stevens and Grant McLean also running the fastest times on their laps, Scottish were assured of a comfortable win. Phil Costley ran 34m 46s into the teeth of the wind, over the fifth lap to out Papanui TocH into third. Lynndale were fourth.

Bays, weakened by the withdrawal of their three key runners, Alan Bunce, Robbie Johnston and Dave Warrander, were fifth.

Auckland University retained their veteran men's title after a dramatic final lap in which Graham Macky cut back a 4min lead held by Olympic of Christchurch to win by 20s.

Hamilton Hawks made it three years in a row in the veteran women and they also won the junior men after Wellington, first over the line, had a minute penalty added to their time for an infringement on lap two.

Tauranga Ramblers also made it a treble of victories in the veteran men over 50 and North Harbour Bays won the junior women.