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Taranaki Open Walks Weekend, New Plymouth, 14 June 2008, posted 28 June 2008

What a fantastic weekend in Taranaki, weather was perfect and the walking was hot. Gary Little reckoned we had been trying for many years to get the weather right and finally we did it. If you didn’t attend then make sure you mark it in your calendar for next year (13 June 2009) to help celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Taranaki Race Walking Club. 47 walkers were on the start line for the Annual Taranaki Open walks weekend, ranging in age from 11 to 86 years old, competing for a series of cups and medals.

The main event was the 15k race with 20 walkers taking part. The Hawera cup for best performance on handicap was contested as well as the Race Walking New Zealand 15k Championship. In this race we also had 3 walkers attempting National Masters’ age group records. The Hawera cup was keenly contested with David Sim (Auckland) just edging Peter Baillie (Wellington) and Vanessa Lowl (Taranaki). The mens' 15k championship had Glenn Burrell (Taranaki) take gold, David Sim (Silver) who held out a fast finishing Peter Baillie.

The women’s race was wide open with last year’s champion, Michelle Lei, a late withdrawal. This turned out to be the race of the day. Rachel Gilberd of Inglewood (former NZ representative) gained a big lead from the start over Vanessa Lowl of New Plymouth and Sue Hoskin of Palmerston North. These latter two walkers had had a very close battle for second and third the previous year, with Sue edging Vanessa by 9 seconds. This year they were again neck and neck for the first 6 kilometres until Vanessa seized the chance of lapping a crowd of walkers, went wide and accelerated away. From then on she gradually increased her lead. Rachel Gilberd seemed to be walking away with victory, until a final dramatic last lap. Rachel went through the bell with a 20 second lead over a very determined Vanessa who was not settling for 2^nd place. Vanessa overtook Rachel who stumbled on the home straight and won by 10 seconds with Sue third.

Michelle Nicholson (New Plymouth) was a deserved winner of the Womens 10k Handicap event. She was presented the Campbell Cup after racing 4 minutes quicker than the same event from a year ago. Dave Barrett of New Plymouth has recently turned 60, and this seemed to give him an extra spring to his step as he took out the Master Men’s cup over 10k.

Gary Little (Northland) set a New Zealand Masters record (65 – 69) in the 5k of 27m 58s. Sue Hoskin set New Zealand Master records (55 – 59) in the 5k (29m 20s); 10k (1:00:51) and 15k (1:33:50).

The coaching on Sunday morning was the most successful for many years. A new format was introduced, whereby people were split into five streams and unlike with the All Blacks, a rotation system proved to be a winner. Walkers had five different sessions – a couple of track sessions (Rachel Gilberd, Colin Gibbons & Gary Little), race preparation and other interesting facets of travelling by Craig Barrett. Mike Parker enthralled with “what it takes to get to the top” and then a Pilates session. I happened to be in the last group to do Pilates (I won’t name my fellow participants) who were called the Rock stars – unfortunately we were so named because we had as much flexibility as rocks! I have not laughed so much in a long time, the poor girls who were taking us had to go and lie down all Sunday afternoon.

This was a fantastic weekend, very successful. Well done to everybody who gave their time so willingly.

Open Walks Summary

Women 10k Handicap -  1^st M. Nicholson, 2^nd V. Goodey, 3^rd M. White

Fastest Time – C. Tuka 63m 31s

15k Handicap - 1^st D. Sim, 2^nd P. Baillie, 3^rd V. Lowl

Masters Men 10k Handicap – 1^st D. Barrett, 2^nd G. Iremonger, 3^rd I. Ellis

Fastest time – D. Barrett 67m 18s

Junior 2k D. Morrati – 16m 38s      

M16 3k – M. Holcroft – 17m 06s

W16 3K – R. Morrati – 21m 53s

W19 5K - 1^st  R. Robinson – 28m 31s, 2^nd E. McKay – 29m 41s, 3^rd  A. Sampson – 30m 07s

RWNZ Mens 15k championship – 1^st G. Burrell – 72m 34s, 2^nd D. Sim – 79m 45s, 3^rd  P. Baillie – 80m 12s.

RWNZ Womens 15k championship – 1^st V. Lowl – 90m 9s. 2^nd R. Gilberd – 90m 19s, 3^rd S. Hoskin – 93m 50s.

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