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Saturday's race for the Coopers Challenge trophy was one with a difference.
The 43 Napier Harrier Club athletes in attendance were divided in teams of similar ability, and then the team was given a handicap based on the average pace of the team members. The teams were then sent off on a 4km lap on the banks of the Tutaekuri, with starting times dependant on their handicap, with the slowest team starting first and the team containing the club's speedsters starting last.
As some of each teams athletes were faster than their average, and some slower, the teams caught and passed each other on the course. The winning team was determined by adding the finishing positions of each team member and the team with the lowest total was declared the overall winner.
This years winning team contained 6 of the club's juniors, Fraser Pearson, Mark Butzbach, Jinny Lee, Georgia Creagh, Josh McCormack, and Ben Harrison who had run half of the 4km lap each, and Joan Vyle who had completed the full lap. Their team had finishing places of 3, 5, 13 and 17 to total 38, well ahead of the second placed team of Steve Charles (6th), Devon Beckman (7th), Dave Boyte (15th) and Sophie Rose (34th) who totalled 62, with Jason Pearson (8th), Cheryl and Allan Simpson (18th and 20th) and Jodi Nagel (21st) third with a total of 67.
The race served as an ideal tune up before next weeks provincial road race champs, which are being held in Gisborne next weekend.
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