Dixon's feet made to fly

PATRICK HAMILTON/The Nelson Mail

PERSONAL BEST: Harry Dixon is chased hard by Matt Lambert on his way to victoryin last night's mile race.

Relevant offers

Harry Dixon ran the mile at yesterday's Athletics Nelson twilight series meet like he had a plane to catch.

And he did.

His plane to Auckland, where he was to meet his father for a weekend fishing trip, was leaving at 7.15pm, and his race at the Saxton Field athletics track started at 6.05pm. At 6.06pm, Dixon burst past pacesetter Gareth Jessop 500m into the race and never relinquished the lead.

Matt Lambert, recovered from a series of injuries and running his first track race of the season, tailed Dixon and tried to pass him in the home stretch. But Dixon held him off and won by a metre in a personal best 4min 16.7sec.

Lambert was second in 4min 16.9sec after a blistering 61sec last lap for both runners.

Fourteen-year-old Thomas Andersen was third in 4min 54.7sec, and Josh MacDonald was fourth in 4min 59.1sec.

The fast section of the Twilight mile was moved up an hour to accommodate Dixon's travel plans. He had switched from an afternoon to an evening flight, and the 7.15pm flight was the final one of the night.

Baydon McGuckin won the later mile race, about the time Dixon was boarding his aircraft, in 5min 10.5sec. Peter Newbury was second in 5min 21.4sec, and Simon Leaning was third in 5min 29.0sec. Linda Sillery was the top women's finisher in 7min 4.3sec.

Nyle Sunderland won the women's mile race walk in 8min 42.4sec, ahead of Wendy Healey in 8min 52.2sec and Sharon McDonald in 9min 44sec. Ross Mitchell was the men's winner in 9min 30.4sec.

Hazel Bowering-Scott and Brodie Hewlett dominated the sprints.

Bowering-Scott took out the women's 100m in 12.4sec and the 200m in 25.8sec. Wati Nichols was second in both races and Jana Polglase third.

Hewlett won the men's 100m in 11.5sec and the 200m in 23.0sec.

Daniel Baxter, who won the men's 6kg shot put with 13.50m and was second in the javelin, was second in the 100m in 11.9sec. Alistair Adams was second in the 200m in 24.0sec.

Wade Cooper won the men's 16 and under 100m in 12.3sec and the men's triple jump with 11.48m, and was second in the long jump with 5.61m. Brendon Barnett won the long jump with 6.40m. Mitchell Chandler outleaned Jonas Kale for second in the M16 100m in 12.9sec and was third in the 200m.

Chris Line won the men's javelin with a throw of 47.85m and Tony Anderson was third with 34.50m. Line was second in the shot put with 10.86m.

Meghan Kirk won the women's shot put with 11.31m.

Ryan Hunter finished second in the triple jump with 10.82m and was also third in the long jump and fourth in the javelin.

- © Fairfax NZ News