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While Maurice Greene was carving up the track in Sydney, there were two Greens carving up the tarmac in Napier on Saturday afternoon. Brothers’ Kane and Hogan both ran away with club titles from the Napier Harrier Club’s Road Racing Championships held on the Te Awa Ave course.
Elder brother Kane, racing in the under 16 boys grade, took his title first by out-kicking Josh Betty over the final stages of their 4km event, to win by just 2 seconds in 14:57. A short while later and his younger brother was at it in the under 12 grade. Racing over 2 kilometres, Hogan crossed the line 7:47 to take the title comfortably from Eric Speakman who crossed the line some 20 seconds later.
The boys under 14 title, also raced over 4 km was another clear victory with Andrew Prosser clearing out from Hayden Schofer early on in the race and was never threatened, crossing the line well clear in 16:47. The corresponding girls grade saw Laura Smidt first across the line, ahead of even under 16 winner Annika Edmondson. Smidt’s time of 16:28 placed her 19 seconds ahead of Edmondson and well clear of Alana Hambleton who was second in the under 14 grade. Sonya Clark placed second in the under 16 grade but she was also well behind Edmondson.
Aleesha Heywood was unchallenged for the under 12 girls title.
The Senior/Vet Women’s event was a one-horse race right from the start with Jo Cavanagh clearly a class ahead of the rest of the field. Blitzing the 5km course in 20:16, Cavanagh finished close to 3 minutes ahead of Adele Marsh in second with Trish Cummins the third vet home. Hayley Sherbourne, running in the same race as the Vet Women, crossed the line third to take the under 18 title.
The Senior/Vet Men’s event was lead out at a furious pace. Title favourite Chris Corney however, elected to play it safe, and knowing the runners ahead were unlikely to be able to maintain the pace sat back and waited for them to self destruct. At 4km, Corney decided enough was enough and picked up the pace to quickly haul in those ahead of him and run on to the comfortable victory which was expected for him. In something of an upset however, Kevin Fisher took second place from Craig Mathers in third.
The event was also the final in the club’s Sealed Handicap series, and several athletes took the opportunity to improve their placings in that series. One such was Eric Phimister who did enough to gain the points needed to over take Chris Corney at the top of the Senior/vets table. Phimister, benefiting from a new training regime, has shown a gradual improvement throughout the season and has now picked up both the Open and the Sealed Handicap titles. Other winners were Kane Green (under 14/16 boys), Aleesha Heywood (under 12 boys and girls), Jo Cavanagh (Sen/Vet Women), Annika Edmondson (under 14/16 girls), and Kirsten Foulds and Hayley Sherbourne shared the Under 18/20 Women’s.
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