The rivalry began before the University Oval event, when the rising phoenix on the Otago running scene, Caversham, stipulated for its trial races three weeks ago that if any athlete failed to turn up for the trial, selection would be based accordingly.
Another stipulation was that selection would be based solely on the first six across the line at the trial.
This produced immediate results at the Lovelock Relay, with a dominant display from the Caversham No 1 team of Hayden Donnelly, Lyndon Brown, Peter Meffan, Tony Payne, Glen Ballam and Daniel Balchin.
Donnelly rose to the occasion of representing the club's No 1 team as he entered a stride-for-stride battle with a casualty of the selection rules, Bevan Stevens, representing the Caversham No 2 team.
Not a blade of grass on the damp track could separate the two throughout the 1500m first leg, both crossing in 4min 16sec and holding a handy 8sec lead over Ariki.
Brown kept Caversham No 1 on track in the second leg, despite international Dougal Thorburn running off Ariki's deficit. Brown also had to overcome the intense rivalry with his brother, Robert, particularly over the first 800m.
The remaining four legs of the 6x1500m event belonged to Caversham as Meffan, Payne, Ballam and Balchin out-classed their opponents.
Balchin brought the baton home in 25min 38sec, with Ariki second in 26min 4sec and Otago University heading a tight three-way battle for third in 27min 28sec.
Brown was full of praise for his team, which claimed back-to-back Lovelock victories for the first time in Caversham's history. Before the club's success last year, it had suffered a drought of 26 years since it had last won the trophy in 1984.
"This victory is for the all older guys in the club," Brown said at the finish.
"They've been there for us throughout the grades and now it's time to give something back. This victory hopefully begins a clean sweep for the season.
"We are just a young team. The oldest guy is 22, the youngest 20. We'll only improve from here."
Hill City No 1 overcame a tough challenge in the senior women's 4x1500m from defending champion Otago University.
With both teams containing runners of distinction, it came down to the Hill City team of Rachel Kingsford, Bella Bloomfield, Shauna Pali and Rebekah Greene, who clinched the title in a creditable time, considering the conditions, recording 20min 5sec.
Despite the Otago University team being able to match Hill City at times throughout the race, the telling factors were the runs from internationals Kingsford and Greene.
Greene clinched fastest time in the open women's section over Kingsford and University's Hannah Newbould, running 4min 43sec, with Newbould, the individual women's record holder, recording 4min 52sec and Kingsford 4min 54sec.
Pali, who stepped up to team captain, impressed with a smart 5min 4sec, bringing her team back from a 5sec deficit to hand Greene a handy 16sec credit for the final leg.
Greene built on that lead, bringing her team home 25sec clear of second-placed University, with Leith third in 21min 48sec.
