Craig Kirkwood who set out to provide a record breaking pace for Japanese runner Tsutomo Saeki, ended up winning and collecting $4000.
Kirkwood started off at 2h 21m pace for Saeki who was seeking a race record under 2h 16m and a bonus of $25,000. But by 7km Saeki was a spent force leaving Kirkwood out on his own. The 32 year old Kirkwood kept up a consistent pace and after 30km, when he decided to carry on to the finish, eased off slightly.
Kirkwood finished in 2h 23m 44s, Saeki was second in 2h 29m 54s with Mark Williams winning the battle with Kerry Rodger for third in 2h 32m 8s. Kirkwood now has his eye on a world champs qualifying performance in the Christchurch marathon in five weeks time.
“I want to have a go at qualifying for the world champs in the marathon, so I had a good blow out today to 30km and then shut down and jogged the last part. I don’t think I did too much damage,”he said.
Rina Hill of Australia started off at 2h 32m pace in the women’s section but a tightening in her left leg forced her to slow over the second half. Hill from Brisbane won in 2h 50m 56s, Lesley Turner Hall of Auckland, fourth last year was second in a personal best time of 2h 51m 56s. Fleur Bromley repeated her third placing of last year in 2h 58m 20s with 2005 winner Mikki Williden taking fourth in a personal best 3h 0m 17s.
Men.-
1 Craig Kirkwood (Mt Maunganui) 2h 23m 44s
2 Tsutomu Saeki (Japan) 2h 29m 54s
3 Mark Williams (Tauranga) 2h 32m 8s
4 Kerry Rodger (Akld University) 2h 32m 21s
5 Glynn Hadley (Chch) 2h 37m 23s
6 Chris Corney (Rotorua) 2h 39m 40s
7 Grant Schofield (Akld) 2h 43m 26s
8 Shane Vincent (Napier) 2h 44m 56s
9 Yasuto Kimura (Japan) 2h 46m 35s
10 Dave Cronshaw (Rotorua) 2h 47m 15s
Women.-
1 Rina Hill (Aust) 2h 50m 7s
2 Lesley Turner Hall (Akld) 2h 51m 56s (pb)
3 Fluer Bromley (Akld) 2h 58m 20s
4 Mikki Williden (Akld) 3h 00m 17s (pb)
5 Marion Millward (Hamilton) 3h 3m 10s
6 Lorna Mills (Pakuranga) 3h 5m 1s
7 Sue Attwood (Hibiscus Coast) 3h 11m 52s
8 Kirsty Somers-Edgar (Gisborne) 3h 12m 37s
9 Philippa Durkin (Tauranga) 3h 13m 41s.
10 Holly Warren (Wgtn) 3h 17m 7s.
Age groups:
Men.-
16-34: Craig Kirkwood (Mt Maung) 2h 23m 44s 1, Tsutomu Saeki (Japan) 2h 29m 54s 2, Glynn Hadley (Chch) 2h 37m 23s 3.
35-39: Mark Williams (Tauranga) 2h 32m 8s 1, Grant Schofield (Akld) 2h 43m 26s 2, Yasuto Kimura (Japan) 2h 46m 35s 3.
40-44: Chris Corney (Rotorua) 2h 39m 40s 1, Dave Cronshaw (Rotorua) 2h 47m 15s 2, Rick Lowe (Tauranga) 2h 50m 10s 3.
45-49: Kerry Rodger (Akld Univ) 2h 32m 21s 1, Bruce Edwards (Rotorua) 2h 49m 16s 2, Graeme Butcher (Masterton) 2h 53m 5s 3.
50-54: Geoff Glass (Akld Univ) 2h 59m 40s 1, Kevin Ball (Te Anau) 3h 4m 31s 2, Garth Fairbairn (I’gill) 3h 16m 8s 3.
55-59: John Henderson (Akld Univ) 2h 59m 33s 1, Andy Harper (Akld YMCA) 3h 12m 33s 2, Takeshi Sugiyama (Akld) 3h 13m 45s 3.
60-64: Ivan Loveday (Akld YMCA) 3h 14m 31s 1, Brian Hayes (Wgtn) 3h 14m 44s 2, Ant Gear (Pal Nth) 3h 15m 24s 3.
65-69: Mijo Sole (Akld) 3h 30m 1s 1, Neville Wagner (Gisborne) 3h 32m 2s 2, George Preddey (Wgtn) 3h 34m 24s 3.
70-74: Alec Day (Akld YMCA) 3h 51m 49s 1, Mikio Kashiwagi 4h 1m 7s 2, Gordon Jackson (Akld YMCA) 4h 26m 53s 3.
75-79: Ray Urbahn (Hib Coast) 4h 43m 19s 1, Barry Boston (Drury) 4h 56m 54s 2, Theo Steenkamer (Taupo) 5h 43m 13s 3.
80 plus: Colin Clifton (Tauranga) 6h 7m 58s 1, Hector MacLean (Rotorua) 6h 8m 46s 2, Colin Thorne (Whangarei) 6h 16m 39s 3.
Teams: Lake City Rotorua 1, Athletics Masterton 2, Auckland University 3.
Women.-
16-34: Fleur Bromley (Akld) 2h 58m 20s 1, Mikki Williden (Akld) 3h 0m 17s 2, Kirsty Somers-Edgar (Gisborne) 3h 12m 37s 3.
35-39: Rina Hill (Aust) 2h 50m 7s 1, Lesley Turner Hall (Akld) 2h 51m 56s 2, Lorna Mills (Pakuranga) 3h 5m 1s 3.
40-44: Sue Attwood (Hib Coast) 3h 11m 52s 1, Ingrid Frost (Akld YMCA) 3h 22m 8s 2, Lynne Peirse (Rotorua) 3h 28m 29s 3.
45-49: Marion Millward (Hamilton) 3h 3m 10s 1, Debbie Robinson (Pal Nth) 3h 20m 29s 2, Betty Harp (Wgtn Scott) 3h 24m 8s 3.
50-54: Valerie Muskett (Hill City) 3h 25m 11s 1, Debbie Clark (Tauranga) 3h 40m 53s 2, Susan Hamilton (Wgtn) 3h 46m 0s 3.
55-59: Bernie Portenski (Wgtn Scott) 3h 29m 32s 1, Judith Bradshaw (Hatea) 3h 43m 25s 2, Jenifer Crowley (Torbay) 3h 46m 23s 3.
60-64: Reiko Ohnuma (Japan) 3h 30m 13s 1, Pamela Thomas (Akld) 4h 19m 38s 2, Gail Taylor (Akld YMCA) 4h 31m 33s 3.
65-69: Julie Roots (Masterton) 5h 3m 55s 1, Kath Reid (Hamilton) 5h 5m 41s 2, Jennifer Matton (Akld YMCA) 5h 39m 44s 3.
70-74: Crystabel Johns (Whangarei) 5h 22m 2s 1, Marion Griffith (Akld YMCA) 5h 32m 50s 2, Elaine Walsh (Napier) 5h 52m 25s 3.
75 plus: Clasina Van Der Veeken (Whangarei) 5h 41m 12s (record) 1, Dot Rainbord (Akld YMCA) 6h 32m 20s 2, Sabine Flinders (Tauranga) 6h 39m 18s 3.
Teams: Auckland YMCA 1, Lake City Rotorua 2, Cambridge 3.
Walkers:
Men.-
David Sim (Bays Cougars) 4h 19m 18s 1, Peter Bailllie (Wgtn Scott) 4h 37m 18s 2, Cliff Harrison (North Shore City) 4h 47m 41s 3.
Women.-
Donna Roderick (Taumarunui) 4h 49m 34s 1, Denise Stewart-Jacks (Inglewood) 4h 55m 25s 2, Penny Purcell (Tauranga) 5h 7m 16s 3.
source Athletics New Zealand
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