Remember to sign up as a member for 2023 on the new membership system.

This week

  • Tuesday 6.00 pm, interval session with Andy, Alice and Rowan, outside Freyberg Pool. See below for details.
  • 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 Karori Park. Contact our club captains, Emma and Bert, or check Facebook for details.
  • Saturday 2.00 pm, Friendly club pack runs, Mt Cook Clubrooms, Salisbury Terrace. See below for details.
  • Sunday 7.30am, Christchurch Marathon, Hagley Park, Christchurch (including Nicholas Bagnall, Mel Brandon, Sophie Dickson, Guy Dryden, Frank Grieve, Brett Hawthorne, Floor Kaars, Sam McCutcheon, Harry McLean, Oliver McLean, Gordon Pal, Alistair Richardson, Ewan Sinclair, Dougal Thorburn, Brad Wong, Geoff Ferry, Megan Ferry, Andrew Kerr, Alice Sowry)
  • Sunday 8.00am onwards, Waitārere Forest Half Marathon, 10km 5km or 2km fun run,Waitārere
  • 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

Hamish Carson and Hannah Miller take top Athletics Wellington Awards

Last week, at the Annual Athletics Wellington Awards dinner, staged at the Movenpick Hotel in the city two Scottish athletes took the top awards for Male and Female athletes of the 2022 year. 

Carson, a long-serving Wellington and Scottish athlete, was rewarded for his consistent excellence over middle and long-distance events with a string of high-level performances over a new event regime from the 2016 Olympian over 1500 metres. His efforts earned him a selection to represent New Zealand over 5000 metres at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Carson’s best 5000 metres of 13:17.27 at Huelva [ESP] in May became 6th all-time NZ male alongside Rod Dixon. He backed up that fine performance in June with 9th place in the prestigious Diamond League, Paris meeting with 13:23.37. Carson also had an impressive set of 3000m performances and a best 1500m of 3.37.73 

Miller also of the Scottish club, a former Southland athlete who made Wellington her new home in 2022 after returning from the USA on scholarship had a stellar domestic season taking four national titles plus a bronze during the year. Miller won the national Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km Road and 10,000m Track titles during the year as well as 3rd in National Cross Country. 

Other awards won by Scottish athletes were:

  • Men’s team of the year: Wellington Scottish M50+ NRR Team – Grant McLean, Brendon Thompson, Todd Stevens, Nicholas Bagnall, James Turner, Andrew Kerr, David Kettles, Peter Stevens
  • Senior male coach of the year: Evan Cooper
  • Master’s women’s middle & long-distance athlete of the year – Heather Walker
  • Senior men’s middle & long-distance athlete of the year: Hamish Carson
  • Men’s middle & long-distance athlete of the year: Hamish Carson
  • Master’s men’s out-of-stadia athlete of the year: Hiro Tanimoto
  • Master’s women’s out-of-stadia athlete of the year: Heather Walker
  • Senior men’s out-of-stadia athlete of the year: Dan Jones
  • Men’s out-of-stadia athlete of the Year: Dan Jones
  • Women’s out-of-stadia athlete of the year: Hannah Millar

Results

Auckland Waterfront Half Marathon

A very successful day for Scottish in Auckland on 2 April, with Chris Howard 1.26.44 (PB – 2 min), Emma Bassett 1.39.07, Jaime Vessiot 1.45.05 (PB – 5 seconds), Nico Vessiot 1.45.05 and Lindsay Young 1.48.13 (PB – 10 min!) all participating.

Results

Notices

Sparkle Fitness: Strong Mums: Running Strength Class

Starting 11 May, Sierra is trialling a group fitness class that is for female runners.

This doesn’t mean you need to be “good” or “fast” at running. It will be for you if want to:

  • run for years to come
  • improve your running form
  • suffer from less injuries
  • improve back and knee pain

Does this sound like you? Then read on for the details:

  • Thur 7-7:45pm (11 May-29 June)
  • St Ninian’s Church
  • BYO mat, towel and drink bottle
  • Starting with body weight and stability exercises and progressing to weights
  • Female-specific and running-specific strength work
  • $200 (8-week term commitment)
  • Limited spaces will keep classes small so Sierra can give you proper attention and guidance

For more information email Sierra at sparklefitnz@gmail.com or 021 258 9445.

NZ Cross Country Champs, 30 July, Taupō

Let us know if you would like to join us for a trip to Taupō for the NZ Cross Country Champs. The cross-country championships bring together the best distance runners in NZ — and they are also a great opportunity for a club weekend away with runners of all speeds and ambitions.

Spa Park, with its rolling hills, geothermal scenery, hotpools and fast-draining volcanic soil, is one of the best cross-country courses in NZ. And Taupō is a great venue for a club weekend away. We’ll sort out shared accommodation and transport for those who want it, as well as a shared club meal on the Saturday night.

Details and register your interest

Hutt Valley Harriers Centenary

Hutt Valley Harriers is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year over King’s Birthday Weekend. It is planning a couple of events in June and it is inviting anyone with a connection to the club to participate.

Register for HVH centenary events

Coming up

Tuesday night session, 6pm outside Freyberg Pool

It’s back, the world-famous Scottish Tuesday night session. From now until daylight savings starts again we will be meeting outside Freyberg every Tuesday at 6pm ready for an exciting instalment of reps. Reps will typically be some variation of 500m, 1km and 1.5km at different speeds with different rests. We will break into packs so everyone (no matter your speed or experience) is welcome.

And for those who are new to Scottish (or not new but have not tried the Tuesday night session out) do give some thought to coming down over the next few weeks and giving it a go. It has been a lot of fun the last few years and so you don’t want to miss out (and let’s be honest, on those tough winter nights it is always nice to have company when you are trying to run at pace).

Club pack runs, Saturdays at 2pm

We will have friendly social pack runs and walks from the clubhouse at Prince of Wales Park, off Salisbury Terrace in Mt Cook. We will arrange groups to suit all those who turn up, from walkers through to the faster runners. The groups will be out for around 1 hour. Be there, ready to go by 2:00pm. There will be afternoon tea when you return. For those who haven’t been to our clubhouse before, it has great hot showers, so bring a towel and a change of clothes if you want a shower after your run. There is also a regular group that goes to a bar afterwards. We book tables in advance – all are welcome to join.

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

Waitārere Forest Run, 16 April

Explore Waitārere Forest with flat easy running and walking as you wind your way through the impressive pines and finish in the famous Event village. Pick a distance to suit you and challenge yourself in 2023 with the 21km half marathon, 10km. 5km or 2km fun run. The forest provides the perfect mix of running terrain while you enjoy the scenic experience of running through the pines. Finish in the beautiful seaside town of Waitārere and celebrate your efforts with friends and family in the event village.

Details and entry

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 and competitive runners alike. It’s 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.

University Cross Country Relays and Chocolate Walk, 6 May

The Victoria University Athletic Club invites us to the Victoria University Relay events being held at Queen Elizabeth II Park, Paekakariki, on Saturday 6 May. 10 grades with 4 runners per team, compete over a sandy farmland 3.5 km lap. All grades start together. Walkers compete in the Chocolate Walk earlier in the day over a 6km walk on nearby roads. And juniors under 16 have a series of cross-country scratch races.

Contact your section captain to let them know you want to be in a team.

Last year’s race details

Tanadees and Arkwright Cups, 20 May

Details to come.

Vosseler Shield

Details to come. But here are the details from last year. And here are ten reasons to run the Vossseler.

Keep in touch