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This event has its history commencing when the Napier Harrier Club first started in 1934.
The relay consists of five runners with the relay legs consisting of distances of 2.7k to 5.5k with the younger runners running the 2.7k distance. The course commenced from the club rooms at Taradale Park, through to Puketapu and back via the Puketitiri Road into Park Island, Greenmeadows and back to the clubrooms in Taradale.
On the first lap our new Provincial Road Race Champ, William Kelsey established a big lead to record 17m56s to hand over to Toby Hall with a 1m40s lead. Toby then pulled away another 2min to hand over to Phillipa Lintott on Lap 3. Phillipa was gradually gathered in by the chasing teams with the three leading teams all handing over to their respective team members only 8sec apart. Unfortunately one of the team members went AWOL for a minute or so and missed the start to disadvantage their team.
On the fourth lap the lead changed yet again with Mark Lane bringing his team into first place to change over at the Napier City Rovers Clubrooms. He was chased hard by the chasing teams and handed over 30sec ahead of the second team which was only 10sec ahead of the third placed team.
On the last leg of the relay 14 year old Kelly Sunnex took her team from third to first and crossed the line 1min ahead of the second team which had new member Glen Bullock leading the charge to pip the third placed team by 10sec.
The seven teams competing were only 4min apart overall so good competition resulted all round the course.
The winning team consisted of Niall McCormack, Kingston Webb, Gina Finlayson, Karl Iaveta and Kelly Sunnex who completed the journey in 1hr27m39s with the second team consisting of William Kelsey, Toby Hall, Phillipa Lintott, Sam Hall and Glen Bullock recording 1hr28m35s with Eric Phimister's team coming in third with team members Fraser Pearson, Cheryl Simpson, Mark Lane and Jason Pearson recording 1hr28m48s.
report Wayne Smith
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