Close race in the women for the national 3000m title

Fiona Crombie of Canterbury, national 3000m champion in 2009 and 2010 and third last year will go to the starting line on Saturday in Dunedin keen to regain the title. Crombie will be up against the in form Camille Buscomb of Hamilton, and Kellie Palmer of Canterbury. Also in the field are Rachel Kingsford of Dunedin who was fifth last year and Christina Taylor of Dunedin.

Palmer won the Brian Taylor memorial women’s 3000m at the Christchurch international track meeting two week ago in 9m 32.35s and Buscomb headed in a classy field to win the 1500m at last Saturday’s Porritt Classic meeting in Hamilton. Recent sub-four minute miler Malcolm Hicks of Canterbury looks the favourite to take out the men’s title.

Hicks will be chased hard by fellow Cantabrian Andrew Davidson. Davidson won the Canterbury title at the end of January in 8m 37.32s beating Otago’s Callan Moody who clocked 8m 41.78s. Moody is entered along with Daniel Balchin Luke Hurring, Dougal Thorburn and Brett Tingay.

Hicks followed up his sub-four with a win over 1500m at the Porritt Classic in 3m 44.48s.
The men’s 3000m is a relatively new event on the championship programme, having been initiated in 1989, suspended in 2006 and reinstated in 2009, while the women’s championship has been conducted since 1976.

The 3000m championships, to be run at the Caledonian Ground at approximately 5.30pm, are being held in conjunction with the Otago Centre championships on Saturday.