First held in 1950, the event has seldom given witness to a women’s team running away with the silverware. But the team of Karen Rowley, Jilly O’Brien, Jen Hodgson, Alison Newall and Caitlin O’Brien did just that.
The mother and daughter combination of Jilly [mother] and Caitlin O’Brien excelled on key legs of what has now evolved into a five-stage 19.4km variant of the original eight-leg 42km event.
Rowley kick-started the team into action from the three-minute mark, reducing the deficit by 30sec on the first leg between John Wilson Ocean Dr and Tomahawk, passing on to Jilly O’Brien for the demanding 3.3km stretch up Centre Rd to the Otago Peninsula Soldiers’ Memorial. Hodgson then complemented the run of O’Brien with a solid climb up to the Pukehiki transition to Company Bay, to have the team threatening the lead. Newall attacked the knee-breaking descent to Company Bay to hand on to Caitlin O’Brien (14) just metres away from the lead.
The Otago under-16 2km steeplechase champion settled into the task of taking over the lead early on the 3.7km run to the finish with a steady head, handing the team a convincing victory. The quintet covered the course in 1hr 40min 36sec.
While the O’Briens had local knowledge of the terrain on the course, and what was required on their sections of the event, it was unfamiliar ground for Hodgson, who was allocated the third leg between the Soldiers’ Memorial and Pukehiki.
"Jilly told me it was flat," Hodgson quipped.
For Hodgson, a third-year club runner, the victory was her second Otago title in as many weeks.
In last weekend’s Otago Road Championships she clocked a personal best for 10km of 43min 53sec, while completing a winning team combination in the senior women’s section of the championships with Celia Lie and Heather Evans.
Hodgson was full of praise for her teammates in helping her take home a second consecutive Otago Centre gold medal.
"Karen [Rowley] had a rocking start and Caitlin did awesome," she said.
Rowley was unable to celebrate the success with fellow team members, having other celebrations to attend to. It was the third birthday of her twin children Amelia and Quinn.
But for team captain Alison Newall, her first winter harrier success was something to savour.
A prolific Otago and national age group title-holder in track and field over the summer months, Newall was thrilled with her team’s performance.
"I guess girl power was the winner on the day," she said.
The Hill City-University team of Josh Hou, Tim Bolter, William Scharpf, Tim Dawbin and Richard Fogarty recorded the fastest time, finishing 10th in 1hr 16min 38sec.
