Taieri Times Report 9 August 2017

It was a busy weekend all round for the runners and walkers, with one team of runners competing in the Peninsula relay, a run and walk for the non-competitors held in Mosgiel, and on Sunday, the club hosted the fourth event in the Kids Cross Country series at Memorial Park.

The six-person relay team, consisting of Jacqui Hadingham, Graeme Murphie, Mike Dooley, Pam Wyber, Angela Low, and Mike Weddell acquitted themselves well in this popular event. Running off a handicap of 5 minutes, the early efforts from the team carried them to the front of the field over the first four legs, only to be caught by the back-markers over the final two legs. Ending up in fifth place, in a field of 15 teams, was a more than satisfying effort, total running time 2 hours 52 minutes.

A very cool breeze confronted the non-competing runners and walkers during their outing held from the clubrooms. An 80-minute effort was agreed to by both groups as they left Memorial Park, the medium paced walkers, Lorna and Joe Issacs, and Lauren and Kathy Batten, did well to finish within the time frame, the faster walkers, Lynda Kelly, Naomi Chisman and Tom Cockerill beat a steady path around North Taieri, coming home in the slipstream of the other walkers. The same could not be said for the runners, who re-appeared at base, almost two hours after they left, just as a search party was being organised. Ruth Fahey, Lyn Mackay, Warren Nisbet and Marjorie Orr, obviously enjoyed the calmer conditions along Tirohanga road, and were content with achieving some good mileage for the day.

The Kids cross country on Sunday attracted 86 children, from year 1 to year 8, with four races over distances from 800 metres to 2,400 metres. The cool overcast conditions, did not deter the competitors from some particularly good individual efforts, with five hay bale jumps, and a sand trap to contend with. There was plenty of parental support, as many of the children were trying themselves out, in readiness for the upcoming school cross countries.