Shaun Clark rounds a bend on his way to winning the Run and Walk Ashburton club championships on Saturday. Photo Erin TaskerRunners and walkers put their best feet forward on Saturday when Run and Walk Ashburton hosted their annual club championships.

An impressive field of athletes lined up at the start line in warm conditions on what was the last day of winter, to battle it out over varying distances at the Ashburton Business Estate on the northern outskirts of Ashburton.

Coming out on top in the 8.32km senior men’s race for runners was Shaun Clark in 33.27 minutes, while Jeremy Hayes was the first masters athlete home in 33.57 minutes, followed by Joe Ford in 34.40 minutes.

Ian Broadbelt was the first man home on handicap in 39.45 minutes.

The senior women runners contested a 6.24km race and it was won by Ashlea Mulligan in 26.37 minutes.

She was first over the line and first on handicap, while Tam Grant took the masters women’s title in 28.46 minutes.

The veteran men’s 6.24km race was taken out by Merv Gilbert in 34.00 minutes, followed by Mike O’Callaghan in 49.15 minutes, while Angel Spooner won the 4.16km under-14 race in 18.51 minutes.

A 2.08km distance was also on offer and Jack Hooper won the under-12 title in 11.25 minutes, while Stacey Hooper won the under-13 title in 11.26 minutes and Kathryn Page was the masters entrant home in 20.18 minutes.

The under-10 title was won by Stacey Hayes in 10.30 minutes, while under-6 was won by Jamie Hooper in 19.19 minutes and the under-5 title was won by Addison Page in 20.18 minutes.

For the walkers Rob Beale was fastest across the 6.24km distance, finishing in 41.30 minutes, while Robert Moffitt was first man home on handicap in 47.10 minutes, and Marie Batty was the first woman home in 49.08 minutes.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 3 September 2019