02-05-2025
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.
