Champion teenage Greymouth mountain runner Ben Williams has been named in the New Zealand team for the World Championships to be held in Europe this September.
The Greymouth High School 17-year-old is the only junior named among nine runners selected by Athletics New Zealand to compete at the 2018 World Mountain Running Championships in Canillo, Andorra, on September 16.
Williams, has been going in leaps and bounds since he took up running after winning the high school cross-country three years ago.
He was "over the moon" when news of his place in the New Zealand team was confirmed yesterday.
Parents Barry and Debbie Williams are rapt.
"He's naturally talented and just gets out and does what he does," Barry Williams said.
Williams has been in top form this season, winning the 20km Oparara Wilderness Trail run in 1:30.13.
A month earlier he won the under-20 New Zealand mountain running championship title.
He has also had success in the Greymouth High School Coast to Coast team. His first taste of the Coast to Coast was in 2016 when he took on Goat Pass, while this year he took the under-18 record for that run, finishing in 3hrs 10mins.
From now until September, Williams will be focused on his training and has already had some advice from former West Coaster, Ruth Croft, a successful ultra runner on the world circuit.
When Croft was back home in Stillwater a couple of weeks ago he got the opportunity to do a couple of runs with her.
"We ran the Croesus Track and Point Elizabeth and she gave me heaps of good advice," Williams said.
For the last three weeks he has been without a coach but he has been keeping his training up.
Now he has been taken under the wing of Athletics NZ convener of selectors John Bowden, who will coach him for the World Championships.
In preparation for the worlds Williams said he would have to do a lot of hill work, which was likely to include a couple of runs up Mount Sewell and possibly up Arthur's Pass.
"Training is not about how many kilometres you run a week, but about time on your feet. Some of my training will be through the bush on the flats and then a lot of hill work. At the moment, though, I'm running at least 80km a week."
The World Championships course is about 7km and starts at 1800m above sea level, finishing at 2700m.
Williams said he was grateful for the support of his parents, Greymouth High School and friends, who had all helped him in his journey.
Since learning of his selection Williams has had to put outdoor courses at the polytechnic on hold to allow him to concentrate on training.
The Year 13 student is also chasing sponsorship to help cover the $6000 cost of his World Championship trip, which he has to self-fund. A Givealittle page will be set up to held him finance the trip.
His dad Barry intends to accompany him in September and the pair will stay on in Europe after the worlds, to allow Williams to compete in some other races.
Meanwhile, another West Coast runner, Mel Aitken, will be pounding the streets of Christchurch on Sunday in the full ASB Christchurch Marathon.
A number of other West Coast entrants will compete in other distances, both walking and running.
- by Viv Logie
