Athletics: Plenty of competition for Lambert

Otago cross-country champion Matt Lambert (Ariki) is one of the early favourites to win tomorrow's 40th annual Clyde to Alexandra Road Race.

Also prominent should be promising junior Tony Payne (Caversham), who displayed a clean pair of heels in an impressive win in the Otago junior cross-country title event.

However, road running is a different discipline and waiting to pounce could be Wellington's Simon Rodger, who will be seeking a confidence boost before contesting the national road championship and national road relay events.

Payne's Caversham club-mates, Bevan Stevens and Lyndon Brown, are both also expected to feature.

There will be plenty of interest in the race for the women's title, with international triathlete Sarah Bryant's return.

Bryant will face challenges from Leith club-mate Kirsty Morris and Erin Whitla (Otago University).

First held in September 1969, the event continues to attract the cream of Otago and Southland's distance runners.

Before the course was changed from six miles to 10,000m, Commonwealth Games representative Euan Robertson held the race record of 28min 47sec.

With the change to 10km, Dave Rush set the standard with 29min 10sec in 1985. The course was changed again in 1995 to avoid traffic congestion around the finish area in central Alexandra.

The race moved back 2km to start with a run across the Clyde Dam.

The time of 29min 16sec Allan Carman ran that day has not been bettered.

Graham Sinnamon will be attempting to be the first Central Otago runner home for the 13th consecutive time.

Sinnamon has fashioned a remarkable record over the past decade in distance events throughout Otago and Southland.

His 13 consecutive titles surpasses five-time Otago marathon champion Bill Godsall's nine times as top Central Otago finisher.

Races start with the 10km walk and age-group races at 1pm, with the open 10km run starting on the far side of the Clyde dam at 2pm.