SWITZERLAND

IAAF Diamond League, Athletissima, Lausanne – 6 July 2017

Tom Walsh finished second in the shot put in his season’s best and fourth best ever of 21.97m. Walsh was most consistent throughout his series of six attempts all over 21 metres, 21.97, 21.70, 21.72, 21.46, 21.59, 21.74.

Jacko Gill in his first Diamond League competition was eighth with 20.70m. His series was 20.32, 20.35, 19.65, 20.07, 20.36, 20.70. Rio Olympic Champion Ryan Crouser won with a meet record of 22.39m. He opened with 22.18m, the 22.39m came in round five and he finished off with 22.35m.

UK

IAAF Diamond League, Muller Anniversary Games, London Stadium – 9 July 2017

Angie Petty finished ninth in the 800m in 2:00.90. Charlene Lipsey of USA who led through 600m in 1:29.06 went on to win in 1:59.43. At the same meeting last year Petty was sixth in 2:00.92.

BELGIUM

Flanders Cup Guldensporen, Kortrijk, 8 July: Brad Mathas 800m 1:51.18 (6).
Brussels Grand Prix, 9 July: Anna Percy (19) set a New Zealand under 20 400m hurdles record of 58.60 PB in finishing third. Percy, national senior champion for the last two years, broke Janine Robson’s record of 58.95 set at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games. Nick Willis 1500m 3:37.69 (1). Hamish Carson 1500m 3:38.63 (6). Joseph Millar 100m 10.37 (+0.3) (1), 200m 20.90 (-0.5) (2). Cameron French 400m H 49.84 (4). Campbell Wu 400m H 54.27 (6RB). Fiona Morrison 100m H 14.04 (-1.6) (7). Joshua Hawkins 110m H 14.14 (-1.7) (4). Kelsey Berryman LJ 6.08m (+0.4) (2).

FRANCE

Meeting International de l’Artois, Bruay-la-Buissière, 4 July: Hamish Carson 1500m 3:39.00 (9). Anna Percy 400m H 59.23 PB (5).

GERMANY

Dusseldorf, 9 JUly: Nick Southgate PV 5.45m.

SWEDEN

Världsungdomsspelen, Gothenburg, 30 June: Campbell Wu 400m H 54.86 (5).

ITALY

Arcobaleno, Celle Ligure, 5 July: Fiona Morrison 100m 12.60 (-0.3) (6), 100m H 13.98 (-0.7) (4).

UK

Parallel Success, Newham London, 2 July: Joseph Millar 100m 10.40 (+1.4) (1), 200m 21.17 (+1.0) (2).
British Milers Club Meeting, Loughborough, 8 July: Paul Martelletti 5000m 14:40.40 (2RB).

IRELAND

Letterkenny International, 8 July: Julian Oakley mile 4:01.71 (6). Katrina Anderson 800m 2:08.32 (4).

USA

Track Town Summer Series, Stanford CA, 29 June: Liam Malone T43 400m 47.89 (2).
Bluegrass 10km Road Race, Lexington KY, 4 July: Rochelle Sceats-Basil 37:39 (1).
Princeton NJ, 9 July: Julia Ratcliffe HT 69.30m.

AUSTRALIA

Gold Coast Airport Marathon, Southport, 2 July: Further results; Ewan Sinclair 2:41:05 (60, 11 35-39), Andrew Cave 3:02:14 (231, 56 35-39), Greg Monk 3:10:32 (369, 37 45-49), Jonathan Dixon 3:19:25 (501, 109 35-39). Women; Ayesha Shafi 2:59:34 PB (30). Half marathon women; Joanne Crackett 1:19:15 (12).
NSW Throwers Club, Greystanes Sydney, 2 July: Warren Button HT 57.24m (2).
Down Under Meeting, Gold Coast, 7 July: Sarah McSweeney 3000m 9:44.88 (5). 8 July: Katrina Robinson 1500m 4:22.33 (1).

AUCKLAND

Auckland Cross Country Championships, Barry Curtis Park, East Tamaki – 8 July 2017

Penny Peskett opted for the longer senior women’s race instead of the masters 6km and came away with the Auckland title. The 40 year old handled the muddy five laps with ease winning the 10km in 41:34, 26 seconds ahead of Esther Keown. Triathlete Nicole van der Kaay from Taupo was third in 42:08 with Sarah Lewington fourth in 46:04.

Peskett, third in the 2015 New Zealand half marathon championship, likes the longer distances and the muddy conditions. She is yet to make a decision as to whether it will be the seniors or the masters at the New Zealand cross country championships.

Jono Jackson made it look easy through the mud to win the senior men’s title clocking 35:30 for the 10km. Jonny McKee was second in 36:26 with Trent Thorpe third in 37:28. Jackson now looks forward to defending his national title in three weeks’ time. In the meantime he will be in Australia for two weeks on business.

“I’ll have to try and find some mud to train on,” said Jackson.

Andrew Catley retained his junior title in 29:22 for the 8km. James Uhlenberg was second in 30:08 with Jacob Holmes third in 30:40. Ainsley Thorpe was a clear winner in the junior women in 25:53, 1:20 ahead of Maiya Christini. Gina Butler of Cambridge was third in 27:29.

George Cory-Wright won the U/18 6km in 23:10 while Maddison Hohneck was through first in 18:12, ahead of Catrin Dawson in the U/18 women 4km. Arabella White was impressive in the G15 4km in 17:21. The B15 4km went to Zane Powell in 16:26.

Sasha Daniels in the MM45 was the outright winner of the masters 8km in 30:54, from MM40 Matt Bailey and MM35 Nick Pannett.

Fiona Love led a lonely path in the master women 6km winning by nearly three minutes, in 26:28, over Anna McRae with MW55 Carolyn Smith third in 29:47.
Dion Wallwork won the B13 3km in 12:08 and Jasmine Strong the G13 3km in 13:47.

Athletics Auckland Annual General Meeting – 6 July 2017

Paul Craddock was accorded life membership and merit awards were presented to Greg Insley and Paul Curry. Craddock and his wife Dianne (life member in 2014) become the first husband and wife life members and Greg joins his late father Alf (also a starter at Mt Smart for many years) on the honours board as merit award recipients. Fiona Maisey and Anthony Curry were elected to the Board and Murray McKinnon was re-elected president. Rodger Brickland who has served 15 years on the Board and Peter Wyatt eight years on the Board and five years as chairman did not seek re-election.

WELLINGTON

Wellington Cross Country Championships, Grenada North Park – 9 July 2017
Nick Horspool won the senior men’s 10km in 33:15 from Scott Russell and Harry Burnard. Russell, in his first race since his breakthrough second place at the Christchurch Marathon, took it out hard, opening up a big lead on his two closest chasers, Burnard and Horspool. He had a large lead of 50 metres after the first two laps and looked to have the race under control, but Horspool steadily worked his way back into the race over the second half, passing Russell and winning by 13 seconds. Russell’s early pace split the field up and most of the front runners ran solo for much of the race. Burnard held on, in this manner, for third place. Horspool, with his Dorne Cup and Wellington cross country titles and his strong showing at the Wellington half marathon, will be shaping up as one of the favourites for the New Zealand title later in the month. Scottish, with their top six scoring runners all finishing in the top eight comfortably took the senior men’s team title.
Stephen Day won the MM40 10km in 34:25, a minute ahead of Daniel Clendon. Peter Stevens won the MM50 10km in 38:03 from Michael Wray 38:30. Sarah Drought won the women’s 10km in 39:34.

The MU/20 8km went to Joel Carman in 27:32 from Hugh O’Donoghue and Seamus Kane. Liam Back won the MU/18 6km in 20:19, from Logan Slee and Liam Chesney. Michaela Walker won the WU/20 6km in 24:35 while the WU/18 4km went to Jayme Maxwell in 14:43.

Short course championships over 5km went to: SM Matthew Taylor of Hastings 16:29 from Ben Winder, SW Esther George 21:00 from Nat Hardaker, MM40 Dan Nixon 17:18, MM50 Paul Hewitson 19:55, MM60 Tony Price 21:08, MM70 John Skinnon 24:30, MW40 Deborah Platts-Fowler 21:33, MW50 Victoria Humphries 21:16, MW60 Michele Allison 24:37. Maali Kyle-Ford won the G15 3km in 12:15 and Finlay Seeds the B15 3km in 10:29.

The course was boggy, with several sharp hills, which sapped strength and favoured the endurance runners over the speedsters.

INVERCARGILL

Southland Cross Country Championships, Waimumu – 8 July 2017

Hannah Miller and Jack Beaumont, navigating the very hilly, slippery, tough 9km of the Waimumu cross country course was not top of mind. They were thinking ahead. Both recorded the fastest times by a long way. Miller’s next major event is in Taipei for the World University Games 5000m. Beaumont has the senior grade World Mountain Running Championship in North Italy to look forward to. Both are a long way from chilly Southland farmland. Beaumont recorded a snappy 31:50 for the three lap course, despite slipping over in the second lap. As befitting a world championship mountain runner he found the hills easy, the mud not so much. He intends taking up a running scholarship at North Texas University immediately after Italy. Miller, home for the University holidays from SMU Texas, also slipped over but it didn’t stop her recording a fast 38:52. Second overall on the 9km course was well performed masters runner Dwight Grieve, winner of the masters men championship, some four minutes in arrears of Beaumont and third Buddy Small who is U18 but ran up a grade to take the U20 title with 35:40. First masters woman in the 6km was Angela Ryan with 28:49 while noted endurance athlete Sally Macmillan-Ross was next in 30:18.