Athletics Insight: Whanganui schools’ cross country canned due to weather

The annual Whanganui Collegiate Inter House Cross-Country Relays are a major participation event.

As the Scottish poet Robert Burns said, “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley”.

I had intended this week’s Insight to be about the Whanganui Schools Cross Country due to be held at Dudding Lake on Tuesday. Unfortunately, soon after 10am, the event was postponed because of the rain and a forecast that predicted a continuation with strengthening wind into the early afternoon when the event was due to be held.

Such decisions are never easy and a decision had to be made before the region’s athletes left for the event which in the case of the excellent Dudding Lake venue was everyone.

Last year’s event at the lake by contrast, although wet underfoot, was run on a glorious sunny day and went a considerable distance in improving participation and the enjoyment of athletes, especially those new to the sport. Cross country is a demanding winter sport and it is hard to attract newcomers in wet, miserable conditions.

However, for athletes preparing for major competition such a postponement affects their programme. The Whanganui Schools Championships are an important part of the build-up to the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships to be held on June 15 in Christchurch.

Although at present the Whanganui event is postponed a rescheduled date will be hard to find and may not fit as well within the full programme. It is especially tough for organisers having made the difficult decision when not only did the conditions not worsen as forecast but the rain stopped. At the scheduled time of the races, I was at Cooks Gardens for a rescheduled hurdle session with Jonathan Maples in dry and mild conditions.

Who would want to have an event organised with our unpredictable weather?

My mind went back to past cross country events held in miserable conditions which became etched in athletes’ memories. The New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country in 2022 at Hawera will be remembered by all who ran that day.

The cold rain was relentless, starting as the first race commenced mid-morning and continuing unabated throughout the four-hour programme. While it was bad for runners, it was worse for coaches and spectators. I can’t remember being colder or wetter at a sports event and, certainly, it did not encourage newcomers trying it for the first time.

As a university cross country runner - never my favourite sport but like many track athletes I appreciated its importance for summer preparation - I will never forget the University Championships at the suitably named Graves Park in Sheffield, England.

The rain turned to sleet and then freezing snow during the afternoon. I lost a shoe in a muddy puddle early in the race and continued without it (I now always ensure athletes tape their shoes for races).

At the end of the race, I returned to retrieve the shoe which by then was held fast in frozen mud. To add insult to injury following my low race placing and retrieving the said shoe, I had to endure a cold shower as the hot water had run out. Graves Park certainly would not have attracted new runners and think it might even have been my brother’s last race for his rival university.

Tuesday’s rain was in sharp contrast to Monday when the sun shone with an unseasonal warmth in the air. The conditions were perfect for the annual Whanganui Collegiate Inter House Cross-Country Relays which are a major participation event and part of the build-up for next week’s Whanganui Collegiate School Cross Country Championships.

The relay event is now heading into its second half-century. With the introduction of girls to Whanganui Collegiate School in 1991 it became a mixed event.

The scoring is based on an average of all the house teams and rules stipulate that there must be at least one girl in every team and that all except those sick or injured are included, making it perhaps the largest mixed team event in New Zealand.

The course utilises the drive on the school campus and a lap on the old golf course, producing a lap of about 1800m. This year 87 teams crossed the finishing line, Grey winning with 34.1 average points ahead of Hadfield on 39.1 (lowest score wins).

There will be considerable world athletics interest on the Bowerman Mile in Eugene, Oregon, at the weekend as part of the Steve Prefontaine Classic. The mile has arguably one of the strongest fields ever assembled. George (Geordie) Beamish is part of this 15-strong field.

He ranks 13th of the entries with a time of 3:51.22. To be invited to run in this event is outstanding and presents a massive opportunity for Beamish this Sunday.