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Otago Daily Times
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Clubs share titles, demonstrating depth of talent
Otago's rising runners get under way in the Lovelock Relays at the University Oval on Saturday. PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAWBIN The depth of Otago's middle-distance talent was demonstrated at the Lovelock Relays on Saturday. Nearly every local club picked up a title across the 11 races at the 88th edition of the event at the University Oval. Hill City-University, who organised the 1500m relay event, edged Leith to win the senior men's race. Matt Bolter, Harry Witt — who had the fastest time of 4min 13sec — Alex Witt, Giles Witt, Ruie Hyslo and Jake Owen finished the six-person relay in 26min 32sec to snatch the win. Stephen Johnson, Graham Fisher, James Davies, Jude Deaker, Finbar Chesney and Nathan Hill were not far off the pace for Leith with 27min 23sec. Leith made a clean sweep of the top three spots in the senior women's race. The club lived up to the hype of being pre-race favourites, after a long era of dominance from Hill City, amid a huge downpour. Stephanie Wilson, Caitlin O'Donnell, Claudia Sole and Alice Cuthbert finished the four-person relay in 21min 29sec, ahead of club-mates Jessica Bray, Izzy Macdonald, Martha Vickers and Laura Bungard with 22min 34sec. Caversham Panthers runner Becky de la Harpe was the only woman to go under the five-minute mark and produced the fastest time of 4min 57sec in her team's fourth-place finish. Studholme won back-to-back titles in the residential college mixed relay race. The race, which was introduced two years ago, has become a popular edition to the historic relays and strengthened the relationship between athletics and the University of Otago. Studholme runners Tamihana Toni, Eve Tonascia, Sophie Whiteman and Lyon Rogers won in 23min 25sec. Hill City held off a strong contest from Ariki in the masters men's over 35 race. Oliver O'Sullivan, Mark Geddes, Jeff Leckie and Neil Broom finished in 20min 24sec, 10sec ahead of Ariki's Hamish Dobson, Xaviour Walker, Eddie Smith and Aaron Poter. Hill City also won the women's over 35 edition, with Aly Craigie, Georgy Pakeho, Lia Bezett and Taryn McLean finishing in 22.16sec, nearly one minute ahead of Leith. Caversham won the under-18 mixed event and Hill City won the under-16, under-14 and under-12 mixed races. Ariki won the men's over 50 race and the mixed social race.
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Relays poised to be ‘celebration of running'
Locked and loaded. A bumper number of runners will be lacing up their shoes and hitting the ground running for the annual Lovelock Relays at the University Oval this afternoon. About 63 teams have entered the event, organised by Hill City-University, across the 11 divisions from the flagship senior men's and women's races to social relays. Hill City-University president Mark Geddes was thrilled to see so many people involved. "It's a real celebration of running," Geddes said. "It's really, really encouraging to see the sort of response to something like this." The senior races are always an intriguing contest — Hill City won both titles last year — and the men's will be a shootout between Leith and Hill City's top teams again. Leith is fielding a strong team for the six-man race in Stephen Johnson, Graham Fisher, Nathan Hill, Finbar Chesney, James Davies and Jude Deaker and Hill City are right beside them with Matt Bolter, Harry Witt, Alex Witt, Giles Witt, Ruie Hyslop and Jake Owen. Both clubs have their depth on display with four teams from each club rounding out the race. Leith is shaping as one of the hot favourites in the senior women's race with Stephanie Wilson, Caitlin O'Donnell, Claudia Sole and Alice Cuthbert. Hill City has had a complete re-jig, with all four runners who won the event last year unavailable this year, but Geddes was still thrilled they have been able to field two teams. Caversham will also be in the mix as contenders. The Otago University residential college mixed relay continues to go from strength to strength, with seven teams entered for the third edition of the event. Salmond lead the charge with three teams and a group called "locals", who are university students not at the halls of residence, have also strung together a team to compete in a new initiative. The masters races, both of which were won by Leith last season, are also looking strong and plenty of rising stars are getting in on the action in the under-18, under-16, under-14 and under-12 grades. Racing starts at 1pm today.
