Kerrison dominates Auckland Long Distance Champs

Today's Auckland Long Distance Orienteering Champs were held on a map named Pinus Restallis in Woodhill Forest north-west of Auckland city, but there competitors were made to battle through much more than pine alone. The event was situated on a combination of the previous map Whose Game and the notorious native bush of Beautiful Hills, the scene of NZ's 1994 World Cup race.

Courses were physically tough, due to both the more rugged forest and increased climb compared to yesterday's Middle Distance. However, none of this seemed to slow down the new Long Distance Men's Champion, the mountain-goat that is Neil Kerrison of North West, whose experience and general toughness showed through as he dominated the field to record a commanding win in around 83minutes for the grueling 10.2km course. Taupo's Darren Ashmore picked up a second to go with his win yesterday in the middle distance, while Mark Lawson of North West rounded out the podium.

In the women's race there was a relatively small field. Penny Kane of Hawke's Bay and Rebecca Smith of Taupo both did not finish which left the race open for the comeback of Rachel Smith to continue. Rachel picked up a victory in the middle distance on saturday as well.



Next up for the country¹s top elites in the Pinestars team is a trip to Canberra in two weeks to take on the Australian Bushrangers and defend the ANZ Test Match title. The next event on the National calender is the combined Wellington and Central Districts Champs to be held in Hawke¹s Bay at Labour Weekend.