Timaru Harrier Club Inc.

Timaru Round the Gorges Relay

The Timaru Round the Gorges Relay was first held in 1987, after the Timaru to Waimate Relay needed to be moved off State Highway No.1 as the road was getting too busy and too dangerous to run on, with this year (2011) being the 25th year that the Relay has been held

Russell McMenzie has run the most laps for the club teams in the Relay - 17 laps, closely followed by Alister Lester & Bob Cunningham with 16 laps. Craig Hayman, Roger Tackney & Toni Smith continue to close the gap having run 14 laps in the Relay

Most Laps Run
17 Russell McKenzie
16 Bob Cunningham, Alister Lester
14 Angus Dellow, Craig Hayman, Toni Smith, Roger Tackney
13 Neil Bruhn, Mark Peters
12 Steve Adams, Andrea Wreford
11 Michael Fox, Graeme Fraser, Steve Stringer
10 Sharon Clarkson, Judy Hay, Andrew Jamieson, Ben Wreford


Only 3 club members have run every lap of the relay - Alister Lester, Russell McKenzie and Craig Hayman. Alister has the fastest total time for the Relay (his fastest times for each of the 8 laps added together) with a time of 3 hours 53 minutes 17 seconds

Russell's best times for the 8 laps add up to 4:11:06 and Craig's add up to 4:23:48

Alister's Best Lap Times
Lap 1 32:08 1991
Lap 2 28:12 1987
Lap 3 26:18 1992
Lap 4 38:59 1990
Lap 5 21:29 1994
Lap 6 25:20 1988
Lap 7 29:11 1993
Lap 8 31:40 1989
 
Total Time 3:53:17  


In the first year of the Round the Gorges Relay, the Timaru team of Kevin Guthrie, Alister Lester, Colin Tobin, Chris Tobin, Steve Adams, Mark Peters, John Souter & Steve Stringer ran a time of 3 hours 39 minutes 43 seconds to finish 2nd in the A grade and this is still the fastest time ever recorded by a local club (Aorangi, Ashburton, Timaru or Waimate)

Over the 24 years of the Relay, several club members have held lap records - with the only remaining records (especially after the 2007 Athletics New Zealand Road Relay Championships) belonging to Chris Tobin - who still holds the Open Men's records on lap 4 (10.8km 33:14 - set in 1987) and lap 6 (7.7km 22:35 - set in 1990) and Sam Wreford - Open Men's record for lap 8 (9.3km 27:29 - set in 2010)


The club has so far entered 71 teams in the 24 years of the Relay, with 146 club members having taken part in the Relay and they have run a total of 575 individual laps (some members have filled in for other clubs). The 10 best times recorded by club members for each lap are listed below


Fastest Laps - Men
Lap 1 - 8.4 km   Lap 5 - 6.0 km
1 26:27 Kevin Guthrie 1987   1 20:38 Steve Adams 1989
2 29:00 Mark Peters 1988   2 21:14 Bob Cunningham MM 1996
3 29:01 Steve Stringer MM 2002   3 21:16 Russell McKenzie MM 1991
4 29:02 Gavin Bell M19 1989   4 21:25 Steve Adams 1988
5 29:13 Bob Cunningham 1990   5= 21:29 Steve Adams 1990
6 29:17 Bob Cunningham 1991       Alister Lester MM 1994
7 29:20 Bob Cunningham 1992   7 21:32 Chris Tobin MM 1995
8 29:24 Bob Cunningham 1989   8 21:36 Peter Ryan 1992
9 30:01 Chris Peters M19 1987   9 21:40 Steve Stringer MM 2003
10 30:40 Mark Peters 1993   10 21:44 Steve Adams 1987
 
Lap 2 - 8.3 km   Lap 6 - 7.7 km
1 25:35 Chris Tobin 1988   1 22:35 Chris Tobin 1990
2 28:12 Alister Lester 1987   2 23:29 Chris Tobin 1994
3 28:34 Glen Lundie M19 1990   3 25:13 Daryl Charteris M19 1989
4 28:40 Bob Cunningham 1993   4 25:20 Alister Lester 1988
5 28:56 Bob Cunningham 1994   5 25:32 Joseph Crichton M19 1987
6 29:02 Keegan Pullar M19 2009   6 25:43 Steve Adams 1991
7 29:16 Peter Ryan 1991   7 26:10 Mark Peters 1987
8 29:25 Mark Peters 1992   8 27:03 Russell McKenzie MM 1992
9 29:38 Glen Lundie M19 1989   9 27:09 Robin Lester 1988
10 29:41 Chris Peters 1989   10 27:20 Bruce Adams MM 1989
 
Lap 3 - 7.3 km   Lap 7 - 7.6 km
1 25:33 Colin Tobin 1987   1 25:02 Sam Wreford 2008
2 25:38 Gavin Bell M19 1988   2 25:46 Steve Stringer 1989
3 26:14 Mark Peters 1989   3 26:21 Mark Peters 1990
4 26:18 Alister Lester 1992   4 26:31 Kevin Guthrie 1991
5 26:32 Sam Wreford M19 1998   5 26:56 John Souter MM 1987
6 26:49 Robin Clarkson 1988   6 27:13 Colin Tobin MM 1992
7 27:02 Russell McKenzie 1990   7 27:37 Murray Stratford 1988
8 27:22 Roger Tackney M19 1989   8 28:46 Robin Clarkson 1989
9 27:25 Sam Morland M19 2005   9 28:48 Russell McKenzie 1988
10 27:47 Glen Lundie M19 1991   10 28:54 Roger Tackney 2004
 
Lap 4 - 10.8 km   Lap 8 - 9.4 km
1 33:14 Chris Tobin 1987   1 28:17 Chris Tobin 1992
2 33:21 Chris Tobin 1989   2 29:13 Sam Wreford 2003
3 36:42 Steve Stringer 1991   3 31:18 Chris Peters M19 1988
4 36:53 Kevin Guthrie 1988   4 31:27 Steve Stringer 1987
5 38:14 Steve Stringer 1992   5 31:28 Steve Stringer 1998
6 38:19 Sam Wreford 2004   6 31:33 Sam Wreford M19 2000
7 38:23 Steve Stringer 1997   7 31:37 Mark Peters 1991
8 38:39 Steve Stringer 1994   8 31:40 Alister Lester 1989
9 38:59 Alister Lester 1990   9 32:26 Sam Wreford M19 1999
10 39:19 Reon Park 1995   10= 32:30 Robin Clarkson 1987
              Murray Stratford 1989



Fastest Laps - Women
Lap 1 - 8.4 km   Lap 5 - 6.0 km
1 34:31 Toni Smith MW 2000   1 25:00 Louise Wynn 1989
2 36:11 Toni Smith MW 2008   2 25:03 Toni Smith MW 2007
3 36:26 Toni Smith MW 2004   3 29:39 Myrtle Rough MW 1998
4 36:28 Judy Hay MW 1989   4 29:51 Nellie Hewson MW 1987
5 39:30 Leana Claydon 1993   5 29:54 Leanne Allnutt MW 2006
6 41:42 Dawn Callander 1990   6 30:00 Tammy Mitchell W19 2005
7 42:02 Rachel Styles 1995   7= 30:34 Sharon Clarkson 1988
8 42:38 Andrea Wreford MW 1997       Raewyn Dale W19 1990
9 46:48 Joanne Fraser 1996   9 31:35 Judy Hay MW 1995
          10 31:56 Susan Breen 1992
 
Lap 2 - 8.3 km   Lap 6 - 7.7 km
1 35:47 Judy Hay MW 1988   1 30:34 Louise Wynn 1992
2 37:13 Judy Hay MW 1987   2 34:29 Andrea Wreford MW 2002
3 37:30 Judy Hay MW 1991   3 34:59 Nellie Hewson MW 1988
4 39:59 Debbie Palmer 1989   4 36:29 Beth O'Loughlin MW 2001
5 40:18 Andrea Wreford MW 1999   5 36:47 Myrtle Rough MW 2005
6 41:20 Myrtle Rough MW 2001   6 37:29 Donna Reyes 2010
7 41:42 Debbie Palmer 1990   7 37:30 Sharon Clarkson 1990
8 42:00 Andrea Wreford MW 2005   8 37:35 Myrtle Rough MW 2000
9 42:28 Andrea Wreford MW 2006   9 37:41 Sharon Clarkson 1989
10 43:12 Jenny Fletcher MW 1995   10 37:59 Sharon Clarkson 1987
 
Lap 3 - 7.3 km   Lap 7 - 7.6 km
1 30:56 Toni Smith MW 2006   1 30:58 Toni Smith MW 1998
2 31:51 Toni Smith MW 2010   2 31:40 Toni Smith MW 2003
3 32:52 Stephanie Payne 2005   3 32:25 Toni Smith MW 1999
4 34:47 Andrea Wreford MW 1998   4 33:08 Stephanie Payne 2006
5 35:06 Rebecca Dryland 2008   5 36:14 Louise Wynn 1996
6 35:09 Andrea Wreford MW 2000   6 36:56 Louise Wynn MW 1997
7 35:53 Nellie Hewson MW 1990   7 37:41 Debra Chase 2004
8 36:33 Beth O'Loughlin MW 2002   8 37:51 Alice Baker W19 2001
9 36:51 Myrtle Rough MW 2004   9 37:59 Myrtle Rough MW 2003
10 36:59 Andrea Wreford MW 2009   10 38:48 Susan Breen 1994
 
Lap 4 - 10.8 km   Lap 8 - 9.4 km
1 45:23 Toni Smith MW 2001   1 37:02 Toni Smith MW 2005
2 46:00 Toni Smith MW 2002   2 39:42 Louise Wynn 1993
3 49:11 Toni Smith MW 1997   3 40:22 Judy Hay MW 1990
4 51:16 Louise Wynn 1990   4 41:09 Inga Dirkzwager 2002
5 51:20 Judy Hay MW 1993   5 41:36 Andrea Wreford MW 2001
6 54:39 Alison Batchelor 1996   6 42:10 Alice Baker 2008
7 1:01:01 Jenny Hallett MW 1995   7 42:45 Nellie Hewson MW 1989
          8 43:27 Andrea Wreford MW 2004
          9 43:40 Andrea Wreford MW 2003
          10 44:32 Nicola Rooney W19 2009