Miles of Talent for Christchurch Track Meet

Christchurch will host an International Track and Field meeting on Friday the 13th of March 2009. This two hour meeting will feature many of New Zealand's top athletes and provide competition from Australian athletes in many events. This competitive opportunity should result in many personal best performances as our athletes peak in preparation for the national champs only two weeks later. The International Track Meet will bring together top children's and secondary schools relay teams, paralympic, provincial, national and international athletes to deliver a nights competition that is sure to entertain the crowds.

Jessica Hamill, New Zealand Paralympic representative will compete in Athletes With Disabilities (AWD) Shot Put where she holds both the New Zealand and Oceania records at 7.12 meters. Alongside this competition will be the All Comers Shot Put where women and men, sporting code versus code will all compete against each other for ultimate supremacy. The men headed up by Commonwealth Games Decathlete Brent Newick, former Crusaders Rugby Player Pete Bowden and former Highlander Dan Charteris will use the standard shot weight (7.26kg) while the women use their standard shot (4 kg). Silver Ferns captain Julie Seymour will have good company with Commonwealth Games Heptathletes Rebecca Wardell and Sarah Cowley in the girls camp. Currently Newdick has a personal best 1cm further than Wardell and with athletes competing not only for their gender but also their code and personal pride, this event will be closely followed and is sure to be a fierce competition.

New Zealand's Nick Willis will attempt to break John Walker's 28 year old New Zealand Mile Resident Record to claim the fastest mile ever run in New Zealand. Willis who has already broken Walkers National 1500m record is showing fantastic early form this season finishing second to World Champion Bernard Lagat at the Milrose Games where he comfortably broke 4 minutes on the tight and demanding 145m indoor track in his first race. In Willis's second outing he won the Reebok Boston Indoor Games Mile by over a second to clock 3:53.54. This time is within three seconds of Walkers record that he will be chasing in Christchurch in March. Indoor races by nature are slower than outdoor with tighter tracks slowing the runners down and offering fewer opportunities to pass.

The More FM International Mile boasts a field containing seven current sub 4 minute milers from NZ, Australia, Ireland and England including five Olympians. Meet organisers had secured the services of Melbourne Commonwealth Games 1500m Silver and Bronze medalists Nate Brannen (Canada) and Mark Fountain (Australia) however Brannen's season has been disrupted by a flare up of an old injury while Fountain was tripped in a race breaking his collarbone. Such is the close nature of middle distance running where falls are commonplace when athletes jostle for position as the pace often surges during tactical battles. Andrew Baddeley was the victim of such misfortune when he and Craig Mottram fell during the Melbourne Commonwealth Games 1500m final. Baddeley is hungry to beat Willis in Christchurch after his Commonwealth Games dream was shattered in the fall. Baddeley was the fastest miler in the world in 2008 and won the Dream Mile at the Oslo Golden League and will ensure Willis doesn't have the race all his own way.

Double Olympian (Atlanta and Sydney) Chris Donaldson who has dominated New Zealand sprinting for over a decade by claiming both the 100m and 200m New Zealand titles from 1997 - 2000 and the 100m title in 2007 and 2008 is back in his spikes as part of his preparation to represent New Zealand in the 4 man Bobsleigh at the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Vancouver will add to Donaldson's outstanding career spanning three Olympics and two Commonwealth Games. Donaldson will face strong competition in Christchurch from our best current sprinters who will be lead by Beijing Olympian James Dolphin.

The international track meeting at QEII Stadium will also feature Aranui High Schools acclaimed Jazz Band and showcase New Zealand's best athletes through the full spectrum from top Colgate Games teams (under 14 years) to professional athletes and provide a visible pathway for our next generation of Olympians to get inspired. This is sure to be an evening's entertainment that you won't forget. Tickets are on sale now at www.internationaltrackmeet.co.nz

The Mile
3:49.08 - John Walker – National Record
3:50.6 - John Walker – All Comers Record
3:50.6 - John Walker – Resident Record
3:49.38 – Andrew Baddeley - Personal Best
3:50.66 – Nick Willis - Personal Best