Celebrating our latest NZ singlet wearer, Hannah Miller, at the World Cross Country Championship last week.

This week

  • Tuesday 5.45 pm, Waterfront 5km
  • Wednesday 6.00 pm, track session with Andy, Alice and Rowan, Newtown Park.
  • Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Athletics NZ Natonal Track and Field Championships, Newtown Park. The championships feature Scottish athletes Hannah Miller, Emma Perron, Ayesha Shafi and Alex Martin. Spectator Tickets
  • Friday 12.27 pm, Kupe Run, a chatty pre-weekend run from the Kupe statue on the waterfront.
  • Saturday 8.30 am, speed sessions at the track. Newtown Park. Contact our club captains, Emma and Bert, or check Facebook for details.
  • Sunday long pack runs — usually, these leave at 8.30 am from outside Freyberg Pool and some alternative locations around Wellington. Contact our club captains, Emma and Bert, or check Facebook for details.

Results

Maurie Plant Meet, Melbourne

From Athletics NZ: James Preston led home a memorable Kiwi men’s 800m one-two from Brad Mathas at the Maurie Plant meet in Melbourne, clocking an impressive world leading time and season’s best mark of 1:45.85.

In the World Continental Tour Gold Meet – the most prestigious one-day athletics competition in Oceania – the 25-year-old Kiwi showed an impressive turn of pace down the home straight to repel the challenge of Mathas, who chipped 0.01 from his two-year-old lifetime best to clock 1:46.00.

Preston, who is unbeaten over 800m for the season, sat second behind Lachlan Raper of Australia after the pacemaker – who ran a slick 50.20 for the first 400m – departed for the final lap dust up.

As seven men entered the home straight with a chance of victory, Preston sat third and appeared to momentarily check his position before veering out to launch his winning burst for home.

Mathas responded by launched a vicious kick on the inside rail and briefly challenged the long-striding Preston but the Wellington Scottish athlete held on to claim a famous win and complete a memorable day for New Zealand two-lap running. Preston set his PB of 1:45.30 to move to number three on the all-time New Zealand men’s 800m lists in Pfungstadt, Germany last year and will be given a huge boost in world ranking points from the win.

Results here

Old Ghost Road Ultra

Sam McCutcheon 6:49:37 (1st and new course record), Nicholas Bagnall 8:51:50 (9th vet male), Geff Ferry 9:13:40 (14th vet male).

TVNZ News interview with Sam McCutcheon starts at 37:00.

Waterfront 5km

Malcolm Hodge 0:16:32, Ben Twyman 0:16:35, Jorge Leonardo Murcia Robles 0:19:33, Gordon Pal 0:19:48, Paul Barwick, 19:54, Jaime Vessiot 21:42, Tom Poland 22:00, Michael Cummins 22:22.

Results

Thursday Throwdown — Rangituhi

Jonas Lehmann won again, opening up a big lead in the series. Marianne Elliot is moving stealthily through the field for the series and is still yet to use her powerplay. I also see Kath Littler, Matt Mintrom and Don Stevens among the results.

Results

Notices

Rejoin Scottish nowand save!

Until Sunday 19 March joining Scottish will be discounted to $165, join again for another excitig season here.

Treasurer needed

We need someone to step up as our new club treasurer after the club AGM in March. Marshall will be stepping down after 7 years in the role.

You can find out more in this article.

Newsletter email database

Over the next two few weeks, we are culling our newsletter email database down from about 700 recipients to below 500. All current club members will continue to receive the newsletter and some non-members who are actively engaged with the club. If you are worried about being culled from our list please let us know and we will make sure we retain you. The newsletter will continue to be available on our website and as an RSS feed for everyone.

Early singlets pop-up stall

Early singlets will have a pop-up stall at the NZ Track and Field Champs in early March:

Coming Up

NZ Track and Field Champs, 2-5 March, Newtown Park

It’s not often that the NZ champs are on our home track. There will be some great races, and hopefully a few Scottish running too, so get down and check it out if you get the chance.

Twilight Track Meet # 6 – Wellington 3000m Champs, Wednesday 8 March

Scottish is organising twilight track meetings over the course of the summer. These are fun, low-key events, open to anyone who wants to try out track racing or sharpen up for other events — it would be great to see a good Scottish turnout to support the event.

Without volunteers, these events do not happen — Andy Ford is looking for help on the night with jobs including a starter (training provided!) and finish recorder. Let Andy know if you can help at any of the events.

Schedule:

  • 6.15pm 100m
  • 6.30pm Wellington 3000m Champs
  • 7.00pm 200m
  • 7.15pm 800m

Pre-entry is required for the 3000m champs at this link.

There will be titles for the 3000m champs in grades: U16, U18, U20, Senior, M35-49, M50-59, M60-69 and M70+

Details

Hutt Fun Run, 12 March

The Hutt Valley Harriers organise the Hutt Fun Run and Walk on 12 March 2023, with 5km and 10km distances plus a kids’ 1km for children under 10. This event is a family-friendly fun run and walk for people of all ages and abilities along the banks of the Hutt River/Te Awa Kairangi. The course is suitable for baby strollers/buggies.

Race details and entry

Honest Ten 100th Anniversary, 19 March

The 100th Honest 10k will be run on 19 March and to help celebrate WHAC is including a team competition at a discounted entry fee. Register your team of 10 online with a team name and entrants. $5 per registered runner with a maximum of five senior men. The combined time will be calculated with prizes for the winning team.

Participants can enter both online or on the day. WHAC will also have some spot prizes. WHAC will donate 50% of the proceeds to Wellington Free Ambulance. Honest 10k is a fast and accurate course with pacers, photos and refreshments.

We have 22 people from Scottish interested in being part of a team so far. If you want to run, please add you name to this spreadsheet.

NZ Marathon Champs, Christchurch Marathon, 16 April

Based now within Hagley Park, the famously flat, fast and scenic route will condense itself to a more central city vibe. Gone is the rough redzone, replaced with more spectator opportunities and more iconic landmarks as Christs College, Canterbury Museum and Cambridge Terrace are added to traditional highlights such as Hagley Park, Oxford Terrace and the Avon River. The course revolves around a new Hagley Park HQ, with all races starting and finishing beside the Armagh Street gates. The route is a 10.5k lap, with options including a Quarter Marathon (one lap), Half Marathon (two laps) and Full Marathon (four laps).

Race information and entries

Shaw Baton Relays, 29 April

Relays are the best part of the season, and the first interclub relays of the season are the historic Shaw Baton Relays at Battle Hill, Puatahanui. Teams of four each do a 2km cross-country lap on grass and gravel tracks, mostly flat to undulating with one sharp uphill and downhill. Log jumps and a water jump. The Shaw Baton Relay was started as an Olympic Harriers club race in 1923, and became an annual Wellington interclub event in 1929. Since 1954 it has been run as the first interclub event of the year. There are teams for everyone, social nd competitive runners alike. Its a great way to meet and remet people in the club and in other clubs. Let your club captains, Emma and Bert, know if you want to be in a team.

Keep in touch