Cameron McNoe, of Kaikorai Valley College, reaped the benefits of his two-hour training runs when he won the Otago secondary schools road race in Dunedin yesterday.
McNoe (17) won the two-lap senior boys race around Logan Park in 16min 30sec from schoolmate Ben Jowsey (16min 45sec) and John McGlashan College's Toby Batchelor (17min 18sec).
"I picked up the pace on the hill on the second lap," McNoe said.
"I knew I had to go early and couldn't leave it to the sprint against Ben."
McNoe and Jowsey had run together and had a 9sec lead over Batchelor when they completed the first lap in 7min 59sec.
McNoe, who is coached by Richard Barker and has a two-hour training run each Sunday, had the strength to make an early break.
He moved away from Jowsey down the hill past Logan Park High School and increased the gap to the tape.
Jowsey trains with a sprint squad and has greater speed over the shorter distances but lacked the strength to challenge McNoe over the final 600m.
Rebekah Greene, of St Hilda's Collegiate School, who won a silver medal at the world schools cross-country in Slovakia last month, led from the start and easily won the senior girls race in 8min 33.91sec from Laura Carruthers, of Columba College (8min 53.89sec), and Bella Bloomfield, of Otago Girls' High School (9min 08.38sec).
Joe Beamish, of John McGlashan, won the junior boys race in 8min 24sec from Sam Bremer, of Kavanagh College (8min 29sec) and MacKenzie Haugh, of King's High School (8min 30sec).
The junior girls race was won by Danielle De Caigney, of Queen's High School (9min 04sec), with Sian English, of Columba, second in 9min 09sec and Jessica Todd, of Bayfield High School, third in 9min 22sec.
Ben Richardson, of Kings, won the AWD wheelchair race in 22min 10sec.
Two years ago, only 40 runners competed in the event, but 125 runners started yesterday.
Teams from Cromwell College and Blue Mountain College that were competing for the first time.
Former Commonwealth Games high jump champion Tania Murray was coach of the Cromwell team.
McNoe (17) won the two-lap senior boys race around Logan Park in 16min 30sec from schoolmate Ben Jowsey (16min 45sec) and John McGlashan College's Toby Batchelor (17min 18sec).
"I picked up the pace on the hill on the second lap," McNoe said.
"I knew I had to go early and couldn't leave it to the sprint against Ben."
McNoe and Jowsey had run together and had a 9sec lead over Batchelor when they completed the first lap in 7min 59sec.
McNoe, who is coached by Richard Barker and has a two-hour training run each Sunday, had the strength to make an early break.
He moved away from Jowsey down the hill past Logan Park High School and increased the gap to the tape.
Jowsey trains with a sprint squad and has greater speed over the shorter distances but lacked the strength to challenge McNoe over the final 600m.
Rebekah Greene, of St Hilda's Collegiate School, who won a silver medal at the world schools cross-country in Slovakia last month, led from the start and easily won the senior girls race in 8min 33.91sec from Laura Carruthers, of Columba College (8min 53.89sec), and Bella Bloomfield, of Otago Girls' High School (9min 08.38sec).
Joe Beamish, of John McGlashan, won the junior boys race in 8min 24sec from Sam Bremer, of Kavanagh College (8min 29sec) and MacKenzie Haugh, of King's High School (8min 30sec).
The junior girls race was won by Danielle De Caigney, of Queen's High School (9min 04sec), with Sian English, of Columba, second in 9min 09sec and Jessica Todd, of Bayfield High School, third in 9min 22sec.
Ben Richardson, of Kings, won the AWD wheelchair race in 22min 10sec.
Two years ago, only 40 runners competed in the event, but 125 runners started yesterday.
Teams from Cromwell College and Blue Mountain College that were competing for the first time.
Former Commonwealth Games high jump champion Tania Murray was coach of the Cromwell team.
