Athletics: Third place wins Cup after winner relegated, runner-up ineligible

Controversy, an international field and a thrilling finish featured in the running of the 78th Ness Cup handicap mile at the Caledonian Ground last night.

Jonah Smith (Leith) took the lead 500m from the finish and held out the threats behind him from Jordan Maynard (Canada) and Ben Wardhaugh (Hill City) with a strong turn of pace over the final 120m, crossing the line in an actual time of 5min 4.21sec. But because Smith had left his handicap mark 5sec early, he incurred the 5sec time penalty, which relegated him to third.

Maynard finished just 1.19sec behind him and was therefore named overall winner, but he could not lift the prized Ness Cup silverware because he is not yet a registered athlete in Otago. The title then slipped to third-placed Wardhaugh, who had been run down over the final 30m by the fast-finishing Maynard.

Wardhaugh (14), a year 11 pupil at Otago Boys' High School, finished with a personal best time for the mile of 5min 4.21sec.

Becoming disillusioned with his swimming results, Wardhaugh has had an impressive rise in running and multisport over the past 18 months.

He did the running section as a member of the Otago Boys' High School team in the Otago secondary schools triathlon championships last March, with Michael Gray (swim) and Ted Brown (cycle). And last August, he won the Otago secondary schools duathlon title.

Winning the prized Ness Cup last evening took Wardhaugh by surprise, as he had not expected to do so well.

"I just wanted a good time," he said afterwards.

Maynard (23), a farmer from Vancouver, arrived in Dunedin only 10 days ago as an exchange student in ecology with the University of Otago, and has wasted little time in training with the Caversham club trio of Lyndon Browne, Daniel Balchin and Bevan Stevens.

Although Maynard has a British Columbia 3000m steeplechase title, he finished third in the 1500m at the British Columbia championships last year and plans to make this his specialist distance.

Stevens, who finished fourth overall, clinched fastest time honours with 4min 21.25sec.

Maynard was second fastest with 4min 23.02sec and Tony Payne (Caversham) was third fastest with 4min 34.73sec.

Kellie Palmer (Canterbury) was first woman, finishing eighth overall in an actual time of 4min 47.01sec.

Joining Maynard in adding an international flavour to the race was Celia Karleskind (France), who was third in the women's section in 5min 44.24sec.

Highlights in other events were: Ian Craven (Hill City) setting a record height in the men's 55 pole vault of 2.40m; Mike Weddell (Taieri) breaking the 400m men's 60 record for the fifth time this season with 62.93sec; and Liz Wilson (Hill City) breaking the 400m record in the women's 45 grade with 63.76sec.