Athletics: Clock wins ding-dong battle

Toby Flett (Hill City) was 2m short of his target when the Dunedin Town Hall clock struck 10 on Saturday.

A year ago, Flett (17), a pupil at Otago Boys High School, finished runner-up to club-mate Andrew Moore in the Timebuster race around the Octagon.

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He beat the chimes then, but the clock had its revenge this time.

Flett won the 19th annual New Zealand Shop sponsored Timebuster with a time of 34.29sec from club-mates Ben Jowsey, 35.15sec, and William Scorgie, 35.61sec.

"I wasn't disappointed," Flett said.

"I've beaten the chimes before. I just wanted to get the title. It was my goal to do that."

Flett's time was marginally slower than the 34.14sec he ran last year.

"I wasn't pushed this year," he said.

"Last year, I was trying to run down Andrew."

Flett's plan was simple. He knew he had to get to the top of the hill first to control the race.

"I gave it everything and then I was able to relax down the hill," he said.

"I knew I was in control and accelerated up the slope to the tape."

Jowsey (16), a pupil at Kavanagh College, finished third last year and thought he was in with a chance when he closed the gap to Flett passing the Regent Theatre.

"But I drifted too wide on the bottom corner and couldn't catch Toby," he said.

Lauren Wilson (Hill City) was always in control of the women's race after reaching the top of the hill first.

"I just let myself go and flew down the hill," she said. "It was difficult to regain control on the flat stretch and I felt a bit off balance going back up the hill to the finish."

Wilson (17), who was second last year, won in 38.04sec from club-mates Tessa Sutton (15), 39.55sec and Rebekah Greene (16), 39.86sec.

Flett and Wilson both received winners' cheques of $300 and Jowsey and Sutton each collected $150.

The race record of 31.63sec was run by Cory Innes (Taieri) in 2008 and the women's record of 35.10sec was recorded by Anna Smythe (Hill City) in 1998.