One Whanganui athletics season ends and another poised to begin

Genna Maples wins the 40m sprint from Sophie Williams (green) and Yasmin Chrisenhusz at Tuesday's Indoor Athletics Team Match at Jubilee Stadium. Photo / Rob van Dort

The Round the lake Relay on September 10 marked the end of the winter season and Tuesday's Indoor Athletics Team Match for the large Wanganui Collegiate contingent of athletes the start of the Track and Field season.

The meeting is a timely reminder that the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships at the start of December is less than 12 weeks away.

I reported in full last week on the Round the Lake Relay but before leaving the winter season behind I feel as founder and organiser of the event I should respond to Monday's letter in the Wanganui Chronicle.

I have long appreciated the wonderful Virginia Lake and, like the writer of the letter, enjoy our wonderful park. As I said in the preview to the event two weeks ago the concept of the race was conceived on a Sunday walk around the lake back in 1978 when I remembered how much as a university student I enjoyed the annual universities race around the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park.

This reminiscence resulted in the secondary schools (intermediate schools were added a decade ago) event, which has now completed its 40th year.

The aim was to bring students from outside Whanganui to share one of our local treasures and at the same time leave us with a positive view of our city.

All major marathons attempt to include the best of their city and therefore New York incorporates Central Park and London includes Greenwich, Tower Bridge, the Embankment and Buckingham Palace.

On 37 occasions in the 40-year history the event has been held at Virginia Lake. Only rain and a special run on the Collegiate School grounds to mark the 25th anniversary have been run away from the Lake. The move away from the lake on all three occasions was met with disappointment by runners.

The fact that entries have remained high is a testimony of the event's popularity. More than 16,000 athletes have competed in the event and while many have run more than once it would be safe to say that the number of actual competitors would be well over 6000. These athletes have left with happy memories and a positive view of the city.

Many of those who ran in the inaugural event are now approaching 60 years old and many of their children have run in the event and many more on visits to the city will have been taken to the lake by their parents.

I firmly believe that the advantages outweigh the four hours each year when some of the peace and tranquillity is broken by visiting athletes. These athletes return to their homes outside of the city with a positive view of Whanganui. Such positivity is important when so much of our publicity is negative.

The annual indoor athletics on Tuesday evening is a popular Wanganui Collegiate House annual event held at the Jubilee Stadium. The tight track, the team nature of the event and 90 minutes of non-stop action provides a noisy and vibrant atmosphere. Every year the event throws up new talent and at the same time marks the start of a new season for the more experienced athletes.

The teams of six in each grade competed in two relays, a three-lap pursuit co-opted from cycling, a traditional 4x1 lap (4 x 100m) and individual 40m sprint - with high jump landing pads provided 8m beyond the finish to cushion athletes - and a 600m race.

All six must appear in at least one of the events. 136 athletes competed (over 25 per cent of the school roll). As ever the relays and pursuit provided close and exciting action on the tight 100m track.

There was real class in some events, notably the 600m senior girls where New Zealand schools cross country representative Sarah Lambert came up against New Zealand under-18 400m champion Tayla Brunger, with the promising Mia Treadwell-Burke in the mix. Brunger's speed carried her to victory after resolute competition from Lambert and Treadwell-Burke.

In the junior girls' sprint event Genna Maples started her season with victory over North Island under-14 silver 100m medal winner Sophie Williams with Yasmin Christenhusz in third position.

Club nights commence on Tuesday, October 16 for the senior club and the children's on Monday, October 29.