Hill Free Half-Marathon (Otago Half Marathon Champs), Sun 13 October 2013
Outram
Leith athletes competed in the Hill Free Half-Marathon (Otago Half Marathon Champs) and associated races on Sunday. Mel Aitken won the Otago Half Marathon Champs master women’s 35-49 grade in 1hr 28min 24sec. Mark O’Donnell finished second in the master men’s 35-49 grade 10km race in 39:14 and David Rush finished third in 41:30. Danny Knudson completed the walk in 1hr 19min 23sec
National Road Relays championships, Sat 5 October 2013
Akaroa, Christchurch
Leith Harriers athletes excelled in the Otago Athletics Club teams at the National Road Relays championships held at Akaroa on Saturday. Athletes Joy Scarlet, Mel Aitken, Jude Patterson and Louisa Andrew were part of the Otago women’s masters team that earned a bronze medal in the master women’s category. Ray Knox was part of the Otago master men’s 50 team that won bronze in the Open 50 category. Neale McLanachan was part of the Otago Senior Men’s team that finished a creditable ninth in the prestigious Men’s A grade. Mark O’Donnell, Julian O’Hagan, Peter Frew, Andrew Lonie, Juno Wiparata and Glen Ferguson were in the Otago master men’s team that finished fifth in the master men’s category. Thanks to all those who took part and those who organised the transport and accommodation
Club Winter Windup and Trophy Presentations, Sat 28 September 2013
Chingford Park Clubrooms, North East Valley, Dunedin
Leith Harriers held its winter trophy presentations at the Athletics Otago Club rooms at the Caledonian on Saturday, Prior to the food being served, President Ray Knox welcomed everyone to the evening’s proceedings and congratulated club members on another successful season with many great performances from athletes including a Leith team winning the Peninsula Relay and Louisa Andrew winning medals at the New Zealand Cross Country and Road Championships. Ray Knox was also awarded an Athletics New Zealand long service award for his services to the Leith Harrier Club. Neale McLanachan was the major trophy winner in his last year as a senior which included the Senior Men’s Winter Aggregate Trophy. Mark O’Donnell won the DA Forbes Trophy for the most consistent winter harrier
Hughes Memorial Handicap Road Races, Sat 21 September 2013
Wharf Circuit, Dunedin
Leith held its Hughes Memorial Handicap Road Races on Saturday on the wharf course. This year the main open road race was a sealed handicap 5km format open to Leith members only. Athletes from other clubs were invited to run the 5km event but were not included in the handicap. Dave Barton (ninth position, actual time 23:01) won the event on handicap off a sealed handicap of 25min 48sec. Cliff Kelway-Pope (actual time 21:49) off a sealed handicap of 24:22, finished second on handicap. Peter Hughes (seventh, actual time 21:06) off a sealed handicap of 22:20 finished third on handicap. Neale McLanachan was the fastest Leith runner finishing third fastest overall in the 25-field Open 5km event behind winner David Catherwood (15.58) and second placed Andy Pohl (16:00). Louisa Andrew once again put in a great run to be the fastest woman in the field in 18min 25sec
Cadbury Dunedin Marathon, Sun 8 September 2013
Dunedin
Leith’s inform runner, Louisa Andrew finished second in the half-marathon race in the Cadbury Dunedin Marathon on Sunday but was more than happy with her course personal best and a time two minutes faster than last year. She is looking forward to the New Zealand National Road Relay Club Championships in Christchurch later this year with another national title on offer. Leith’s Mel Aitken, last year’s women’s champion, finished second in the full marathon
Athletics New Zealand Road Championships, Sat 31 August 2013
Dunedin
Leith’s Louisa Andrew won the Athletics New Zealand Road Championships Masters Women’s 35-39 title over 5km held in Dunedin on Saturday while also leading the Athletics Otago team of Andrew, Shireen Crumpton (Hill City University, first MW40-44, 18:04), Mel Aitken (Leith, third MW35-39, 19:38) and Jude Patterson (Leith, sixth MW35-39, 20:58) to the National Master’s Women’s teams’ title. Leith’s Neale McLanachan finished eighteenth in a time of 32min 49sec in the Open Men’s’ 10km title race. Mark O’Donnell (Leith, sixth, 35:48) and Andrew Lonie (Leith, seventh, 35:53) acquitted themselves well in the Master Men’s 40-44 grade 10km title race
Otago Age-Group Championships, Sun 25 August 2013
Wharf Circuit
The small Leith Harriers contingent acquitted itself well at the Otago Age-Group Championships held on the Wharf Circuit on Sunday. Bruce Knox won the Otago Championships Boys Under 13 race over 2km in a time of 9min 44sec. Jude Patterson finished third in the Master Women’s 5km race in a time of 20min 55sec. Julian O’Hagan (second in 17min 51sec) and Cliff Kelway-Pope (twelfth in 20min 48sec) competed in the Non-Championship Open 5km Race
Clyde to Alexandra races, Otago 10000m Champs, Sat 17 August 2013
Alexandra
Louisa Andrew continued her great form in winning the Otago Senior Women’s 10km Road title at the Clyde to Alexandra races on Saturday in 37min 15sec. Glen Ferguson also showed a return to form by winning the Otago Master Men’s 35-49 age-grade title in 34min 19sec (15th overall). Together with his teammates, Alan Funnell (2nd) in 34:37 and Mark O’Donnell (4th) in 35:35, Leith took out the team prize in this grade. Others to feature here were Juno Wiparata (5th), Andrew Lonie (7th), Danny Baillie (10th) and Peter Frew (11th). Neale McLanachan flew the Leith flag in the Senior Men’s 10km race by finishing an excellent fourth in 32min 26sec (4th overall). Jude Patterson (6th, MW35-49), Brian Pascoe (4th, MM50-59), Ray Knox (6th, MM50-59), Graham Anderson (4th, MM60+) and Ed Stevens (5th, MM60+) also featured prominently
Athletics Otago Peninsula Relay, Sat 20 July 2013
Dunedin
The Leith “Masters Express” team (Leith Blue) won the 64th edition of the Athletics Otago Peninsula Relay on Saturday. The team of Alan Funnell (fastest leg 4), Louisa Andrew, Glen Ferguson, Mel Aitken, David Rush, Neale McLanachan, Peter Frew (fastest leg 7) and Ray Knox put in an astounding team effort to win by 54 seconds. Peter Frew surged into the lead on leg seven leaving a two minute buffer for Ray Knox who took the team home to a fine win. The Blue team’s time of 2hrs 20mins 26secs was the second fastest.
The Leith White team of David Barton, Marc Boulle, Graham Anderson, Peter Hughes, Linda McNeill, Mark O’Donnell, Tim Horton and Cliff Kelway-Pope also put in a determined team effort to finish eighth across the line. Young Horton in his first Peninsula Relay had a very good run and McNeill enjoyed her run
Balclutha Half Marathon, Sun 23 June 2013
Balclutha
On Sunday Leith Harriers athletes did exceptionally well in the Balclutha Half Marathon and associated events. Neale McLanachan won the Half Marathon Open Men’s grade and was the first runner to finish. Louisa Andrew won the Open Women’s grade with Mel Aitken second. Juno Wiparata came second in the Master Men’s 35 grade. Leith also featured prominently in the associated 10km run. Jason Palmer was first across the line in 36min 12sec to win the Open Men’s grade. Alan Funnell was second across the line in 37min 5sec to win the Master Men’s 35 grade. Megan Balchin (44:46) was the first woman to finish winning the Open Women’s grade. Jude Patterson (45:53) was the second woman home winning the Master Women’s 35 grade
Joe Cowie Memorial Handicap Races, Sat 25 May 2013
Forbury Park Raceway, Dunedin
Leith Harriers held its annual Joe Cowie Memorial Handicap Races at Forbury Park Raceway in perfect sunny and mild conditions.
Neale McLanachan won the line honours in the main Open 5000m event off a handicap of 16 minutes to beat Master Woman’s runner Louisa Andrew (off 14:27) by 26 seconds. His actual time of 16:37 was also the fastest time achieved. Louisa Andrew was fastest woman in 18:39 and was the first woman home.
Master’s Men 50 runner Chris Sole (off 13:50) held off the fast finishing Alan Funnell (2nd Fastest in 17:52, off 15:30) and Julian O’Hagan (3rd Fastest in 18:27, off 15:02) for third place. Sole’s time of 19:22 was eighth fastest overall. Second woman to finish was Jude Patterson (off 12:00) and third woman was Mel Aitken (off 14:06).
Reuben Knox completed the Men’s 15&Under 2000m in 9:52 while Annabel Murphy completed the children’s 1000m in 4:13
