In mild sunny conditions, Mel Atkin 8.34,20 (Leith Harriers, Dunedin) and Xye Doyle 9.28.57 (Run Timaru, Timaru) ran excellent races to win the 17th Sri Chinmoy 'Self-Transcendence' Athletics NZ 100 km championships.
The 2024 Athletics New Zealand 100 km & 50 km championships were held on a 2.5 km World Athletics/ AIMS certified loop within Hagley Park.
Carol Robertson 8.58.21 (Hamilton City Hawkes, Noosa, AUS) was second, followed by Tia Jones 9.18.29 (Brisbane, Aus) and Vivian Cheng 10.40.26 (Wellington Harrier AC, Wellington).
Clark Fountain 9.46.43 (ANZ One Day, Christchurch) was second in the men's 100-km … followed by Jayden Anker, 9.56.32 (ANZ One Day, Christchurch).
Hayden Zervos, 3.17.45 (New Brighton Olympic, Christchurch) and Jennifer Rankin, 5.05.40 (ANZ One Day, Christchurch) won the Sri Chinmoy 'Self-Transcendence' 50 km races ... becoming the 2024 Athletics New Zealand 50 km national champions.
Hayden ran a very fine race, finishing just 2.07 short of Dayle McLaughlin’s 2023 course record.
Tom Kissel, 3.27.59 (ANZ One Day, West Eyreton) was the men's 50 km runner-up, followed by Scott Cranfield, 3.32.41 (ANZ One Day, Christchurch).
Multiple IAU master’s champ Val Muskett, 5.19.31 (ANZ One Day, Hampden) was the women's 50-km runner-up, followed by NZ 24-Hour age group record holder and Ironman super-vet Shirley Rolston, 7.33.02 (Port Hills Athletic, Tia Tapu).
John Bowden from Athletics New Zealand, presented the leading Kiwi 100 km & 50 km women and men with the Athletics NZ gold, silver and bronze championship medals.
In the Sri Chinmoy 100 km 4-person Team's Race the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ team (8.17.25) finished comfortably ahead of runner’s-up ‘Children Of The Revenant Game' (8.24.47) and ‘Sole Sisters’ (8.54.39) teams.
Latter, runners, friends and supporters gathered at the Lotus Heart Indian Vegetarian Restaurant for the Sri Chinmoy 100 km and 50 km awards ceremony … followed by a scrumptious, meal.