Two of the rising stars of middle distance in New Zealand, Rachel Harrison and Rosa Scott, both of Christchurch, had top-10 finishes in the marathon yesterday.
Scott (20) needs no introduction to local track and field athletes following a promising junior career in 800m and 1500m running for Otago.
Now studying at the University of Canterbury, she is etching out a promising career as a senior middle-distance runner in Christchurch.
The marathon yesterday was Scott's second. Her first was on the same course last year and she admitted to feeling the pinch a little yesterday.
"I was a minute faster last year," she said.
Her time yesterday in finishing 10th in the open women's section was 3hr 28min 37sec.
But it seemed an eternity as fourth-placed Harrison waited for her training partner to finish.
For Harrison (21), it was her third marathon, with all three on the Dunedin course and managing to get faster each time. Her time in 2006 was 3hr 26min, last year it was 3hr 19min and yesterday 3hr 17min 8sec. It has given her encouragement as she sets her sights on the forthcoming track season.
"I had the stitch the whole way," she said. "It came on at the start and lingered."
Both were pleased with their results. The two will be back in Dunedin next month as members of the University of Canterbury senior women's team at the national road relay. Last year, the team won the bronze medal.
