This week

  • Tuesday 6.00 pm, interval session with Andy, Alice and Rowan outside Freyberg Pool. This week’s session is Pyramid: 500m at 5km pace, 1km at 10 km pace, and 1.5km at half pace.
  • Friday 12.27 pm, Kupe Run, a chatty pre-weekend run from the Kupe statue on the waterfront.
  • Saturday 8.00 am, Parkruns at Waitangi, Lower Hutt, Ara Harakeke, Trentham, Kāpiti and Greytown.
  • 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.
  • Sunday 8.00 am onwards, NZ Road Championships, Massey University Campus, Palmerston North
  • 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

Wellington Team for NZ Road Race

Congratulations to Ben Brunner, Seamus Kane, Emma Perron, Simon Keller, Alasdair Saunders, Andrew Kerr, Grant McLean, Peter Stevens, Ayesha Shafi, Heather Walker, Maria Williams, Michele Allison, Loretta Desourdy and Terri Grimmett, who have all been selected to represent Wellington at the NZ Road Championships this weekend.

Team announcement

Tip Track Marathon and Te Kopahou Thousand

Kyle Malone was second in the Tip Track Marathon in 4:31:50. Guy Dryden completed three climbs (a half marathon) in about 3 hours.

Dashna Govind finished the Kopahou Thousand in 1:56:05

Results

Ballantyne Cup and Shirley Barton Trophy

Congratulations to Isla Turner-Holmes, who won the Shirley Barton Trophy, and Dougal Thorburn, who won the Ballantyne Cup.

Handicapper’s race review and results

UTMB

Dan Jones finished 12th in the UTMB — one of the world’s most famous and prestigious trail races with 171 kilometres and 10,000 meters of elevation around the Mont-Blanc through Italy, Switzerland and France.

Race review and results

Needle Relay

A result I missed from last week: Liz Bentley broke the W60 record for the 3km leg of the Needle Relay.

Notices

Farewell to Kathryn Fraser

Many older members, especially walkers, will be saddened to learn that Kathryn Fraser was tragically killed in Christchurch last Wednesday morning when hit by a van whilst riding her e-scooter. Kathryn was a member of Scottish from 2000-2005 and a keen racewalker.

When she and her husband Rodney returned to Christchurch, she again became involved in walking, particularly as a top-graded Judge, officiating at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 2018. Also became a leading field events official. Elected Convenor of the Athletics NZ Officials Association, she was primarily responsible for obtaining their branded apparel, then also free accommodation for out-of-town officials when the NZ T&F Champs were held in Christchurch; much appreciated. A dedicated official who all will sadly miss.

Wellington Masters Athletics AGM notice

7pm on Thursday, 28 September, at Olympic Clubrooms in Johnsonville. We would love to see masters attend, especially the pre-master and new-master age groups.

Peter Tearle bequest

In February 2022, Wellington Scottish received a generous bequest of $83,400 from the estate of life member Peter Tearle.

The management committee are encouraging club members to submit applications for use of the funds, with key criteria being:

  • Promote WSAC and encourage membership
  • Support access to the sport
  • Provide a benefit to WSAC and WSAC members
  • Provide an overall social benefit / good

There are no specific directions attached to the bequest. Suggestions on how the funds could be used based on feedback received in May 2022 include:

  • Provide financial support for club away trips such as NZRR
  • subsidise travel/bus hire to events within the Wellington region
  • Provide mentoring and coaching to promising junior athletes
  • support the training and upskilling of a broader cohort of officials to help out at events in the Wellington region

This form provides a template for applications, with each applicant being asked to provide:

  1. What is the opportunity the proposal is seeking to address?
  2. Description of the intended use of funds
  3. Explanation of how the intended use of funds aligns with broad criteria
    1. Promote WSAC and encourage membership
    2. Support access to the sport
    3. Provide a benefit to WSAC and WSAC members
    4. Provide an overall social benefit / good
  4. A brief outline of how the proposal would be delivered:
    1. Who will support the delivery of the project?
    2. How do you intend to make sure the project is successful?
    3. How will you monitor success?
    4. Over what period do you expect the benefits to be realised?

Upon receipt, applications will be discussed and — if deemed to fulfil the criteria above — approved by the Wellington Scottish Management Committee.

If you have any questions or would prefer to submit a free-form response, please get in touch with alicesowry@gmail.com (Secretary of the Management Committee)

New Night of Miles organiser wanted

Andy Ford is stepping down from his role organising the Night of Miles track race, which takes place before Christmas each year. Does anyone want to take on this role? It is one of the most fun track events of the year. The organiser needs to be skilled at lolly scrambles, encouraging fun and getting Santa Claus to the start line in shape to race. Contact Andy for details.

Register for road relays

Please fill in the registration form if you plan to come with us to Christchurch. If you are paying for your Road Relay contribution, please send this to the usual Wellington Scottish account (38-9005-0501833-00) and reference your name along with RR. Please take a look below for more details.

Coming up

Hutt Marathon, 17 September

A flat and scenic course along both sides of the Hutt River. You can register before 5 September to avoid the late fee. This event incorporates the Wellington Centre marathon championships. There are cash prizes for placegetters in the marathon run, half marathon, 10km runners and walkers. There are also a 5km fun run and Cool Kids Kilometre.

Information and registration

NZ Road Relays, Loburn, 30 September

It’s that time of year again when we start to turn our minds to the National Road Relays. For new runners to the club, this is possibly the biggest running event in the club running calendar and a fantastic weekend away with friends and family. For those who assume this is just for the faster runners, this is not the case. We generally take over 100 runners to Road Relays each year and last year won top club, thanks in part to our sheer weight of numbers on the start line.

The committee has decided to keep the costs in line with last year’s event by subsiding race entry, accommodation, and minibus hire, meaning the costs will be as follows:

  • 1 runner — full: $150
  • 1 runner — no dinner: $110
  • 1 runner — 1 night: $100
  • Supporter — $100 (everything but entry fee)
  • 1 runner — race and van hire only $60

If you would like more information on the road relays, please chat with some of your club members, section captains or the club committee.

Bernie Portenski Memorial Trophy, 14 October

The Bernie Portenski Memorial Cup is a handicapped race to celebrate the end of the harrier season and to commemorate Bernie Portenski. It starts in Titahi Bay and races around Whitireia Park along roads, trails and sand beaches.

Race details

Wairarapa Half Marathon, 14km and 7km, 15 October

Run or walk 1, 2, or 3 laps of a picturesque 7 km course alongside the Waipoua River and Henley Lake in Masterton.

Information and entry

Keep in touch