Peter Meffan (Caversham) believes in miracles. He defied the odds with a dramatic last lap to win the Otago senior men's 5000m title yesterday.
He won the title in wet conditions at the Caledonian Ground in a personal-best time of 15min 6.05sec after running a blistering last lap in 64sec.
Caden Shields (Hill City), who was having his first race in Dunedin for four years after completing his athletics scholarship at Purdue University in the United States, was second in 15min 6.92sec.
Jordan Maynard (Caversham) was third in 15min 36.90sec.
The leading bunch had been reduced to two after seven of the 12 and a-half laps.
They were lapping at 74sec.
With 1000m left, Shields used his experience to take control and quickly opened up a 10m gap on Meffan as he increased the pace to 71sec a lap.
He had 3sec on Meffan at the bell and looked certain to win.
"I thought I was gone," Meffan, a fourth-year medical student, said. "I kept staring at his back and running him down. I couldn't believe it."
Meffan caught Shields with 200m left and took the lead round the final bend and led into the final straight.
Shields came back at him and drew level with 60m left and it was a ding-dong battle to the tape.
"I just focused on the finish, kept relaxed and kept my arms swinging," Meffan said.
New Zealand cross-country representative Rachel Kingsford (Hill City) was a comfortable winner of the women's title in 17min 10.42sec from visiting Canadian Annemarie Madden in 17min 30.45 sec.
Shauna Pali (Hill City), in her first race back since breaking a bone in her foot in November, won the junior women's title in 18min 22.35sec.
