Oakley and Miller highlight The Agency 10000 Metres Festival
Hannah Miller [Wellington Scottish] and Julian Oakley [Tauranga] continued to accumulate Athletics NZ titles when they claimed the Men’s and Women’s 10000 metre titles at the Agency 10km Festival. Miller collected her 4th New Zealand title in a stunning six month period. She added to her Marathon title [May], 10km Road Championships [September], and Half Marathon [October] titles. Miller’s time was 34.25.26 and headed off Wellington Harrier Athletic Clubs’ Sarah Drought with 34.36.41 to give the same 1-2 performance as at NZ Road Championships from September’s NZCIS event in Upper Hutt. Third place went to Olivia Whitney [North Harbour Bays] in 35.00.41
Julian Oakley ran 29.19.36 recording a personal best track 10000 metre time and enjoying more success in the Capital where he has won the 10000 metre challenge [Covid] in 2021 and the Team Ledger Harcourts Capital Classic 1500m twice over the last two years. His gold gives him his 4th title since March 2021 along side his two silver at the T&F Nationals in Hastings in 2022. 2nd place went to Eric Speakman [Napier] who hung on for his silver after some suffering in the last 400m recording 30.07.66 , also for a personal best. Top local was Nathan Tse [WHAC] claiming a massive 1min 20 personal best to run 30.17.14 to take well earned bronze to to claim his first senior medal with his last national medal back in 2014 for the Junior 8km road race. The NZ Under 20 Men’s title was the top ten finisher in the Men’s event claimed by Reuben Beard, [Hill City Uni] in 32:32.76 finishing in 8th overall in the race ahead of 11th placed Samuel Stichbury, [Fielding Moa] in 33:22.30.
In Masters division Simon Mace, [Owairaka] 32:40.69 was easily the top finisher and claimed the NZMA 45-49 title and top Wellington Master was Dan Clendon [WHAC] in 33.38.44. Top women Masters from Wellington was Sophie Dickson[Scottish] in 39.20.19, while Lisa Cross was #1 NZMA women in 35.48.55. *3 year old Roger Robinson [Vic Uni] steeping off a flight from New York earlier that day recorded an impressive 54.15.25 in the M80+ category
