Charlotte Butler-Munro (Otago University) enjoys the
idyllic conditions as she runs the second leg of the
Peninsula Relay on Saturday. Photo by Gerard O'Brien.
An Otago University women's squad that has promised much
this season delivered on Saturday with an impressive victory in
the Peninsula Relay.
Andrea Peat, Charlotte Butler-Munro, Barbara Roy, Dorothee
Hodapp, Olivia Tuck, Madeline Munro, Sonia Grant and Kate
Biddlecombe were confident of a top result when they realised
they were to contest the 60th running of the event from a
handicap of 20min 30sec.
It was the gritty run of Grant on the 8.4km leg from
Macandrew Bay to Teviot St that set the team up for victory.
This section of the relay could well now be referred to as
"Sonia's Stretch", in the same manner that the hill section
between Pukehiki and Portobello was referred to as Kate's
Hill following a University victory in 2006, where Kate
Denton set the team up for victory.
Munro, who ran the sixth leg between Broad Bay and Macandrew
Bay on Saturday, displayed courage under fire on the eighth
and final leg two years ago to bring the team home to victory
with the rest of the field snapping at her heels.
When Grant took the baton from Munro on Saturday, the team,
despite moving into third place, still trailed race leader
Hill City 3 by 5min 18sec.
Grant soon had her team in second place and then set about
the task of reducing Hill City's lead.
By the midway stage, Grant had reduced the deficit to 2min
56sec and at Vauxhall Yacht Club trailed by just 1min 23sec.
Such was her momentum that as she approached the inlet she
was just 31sec behind and could see the race leader.
She took the lead turning on to Portsmouth Dr and handed her
team a 14sec advantage lead at the changeover.
Biddlecombe displayed a cool head and courage to maintain the
lead and bring her team home victorious in a time of 2hr
42min 56sec.
While Munro, Grant and Biddlecombe deserved special praise
for their runs, it was event handicapper Richard Barker who
was seeking the honours.
"This victory has just cost you girls a case of Central Otago
pinot noir," he advised them at the finish.
It would have been a difficult task sobering the excitement
of the victory for team captain Peat, who was just as
jubilant.
"It's all pretty exciting. Everyone had a really good run,"
she said.
The race for fastest time saw a tight contest between Hill
City No 1 and Caversham No 1 teams.
In the end, just 14sec separated the two teams, with the Hill
City team of Alex Gorrie, Cameron McNoe, Elliot O'Sullivan,
Mike Wakelin, William Scorgie, Richard Murphy, Oliver
O'Sullivan and Tom Hunt winning the fastest time honour,
recording 2hr 10min 29sec for the 39.8km course.
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