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Cross-country dip
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
By Leanne Richards
Hawera turned on the sunshine for the Uni Games cross-country yesterday, tempting some runners to take a dip in one of the mountain streams on route.
Daniel OConnor of Otago heads for the finish line. Photo / Michele Hofmnas
The course took the competitors through a typically rural Taranaki scene, complete with grazing cattle and cow pats.
Taranaki runner Tomas Bridgeman, representing Victoria University, won the men’s event.
Bridgeman ran his first half marathon last week as a warm-up to the event and it obviously paid off.
He said home advantage - he ran the same course at primary and secondary school — may also have given him an edge over his rivals.
“I’ve done this track a couple of times before, so I kind of knew what I was getting myself into,” he said.
“It was real hot I felt like stripping off.”
The final result in the men’s cross-country 6km course was - Tomas Bridgeman (Victoria) 1st place time 21.38, Mark Searle (Massey, Palmerston North) 2nd place time 22.30, Kirk McDowall (Victoria) 3rd place time 22.57.
The women’s cross-country 4km course result was - Samantha Blanch (Massey, Palmerston North) 1st place time 18.24, Kim King (TWO) 2nd place time 20.07, Emma Fraser (AUT) 3rd place time 25.06.
LEANNE RICHARDS is a Witt journalism student
