Indoor Records broken by Hunter and Hoare

What a weekend for Men’s Middle distance running in Oceania.

It all kicked off on Saturday morning, with the 5000m race at the Porritt Classic. Originally scheduled for the Friday evening, but windy conditions meant the race was moved to Saturday morning. Olympic Triathlete Hayden Wilde has been chasing a fast 5000m all season, and it all came to fruition on Saturday morning. His time of 13.29.47 is a current world leading time, and also a big personal best, which the first 4 home all recording Personal best times.

The Men’s 800m also produced some outstanding results. The race won by James Preston, the New Zealand U20 Record Holder, who ran 1:47.84, to out lean the Cook Islands Alex Beddoes by .01. Beddoes time of 1.47.85 is a Cook Island National Record, the first time he ran under 1:50, and the second fastest Pacific Islander of all time.

Not to be outdone, the Women in the 1500m was also a fast race, with 7 of the 11 runners recording Personal Bests, with the winner Camille Buscomb running 4:13.47.

Waking up on Sunday morning, Oceania time, it was a flurry of activity. With the US Indoor Season in full swing, and a lot of athletes having returned to the United States from Oceania in good shape.

Charlie Hunter, who has shown terrific form in the past few weeks, running a split in his Oregon University Team’s record setting Distance Medley of 1:47.65. Hunter has also lowered the Australian Indoor Mile Record twice in two weeks, taking it to 3:53.49 on Friday evening (US time). It was however Saturday at the Tyson Invitational, where he lowered Joseph Deng’s record to 1.45.59 over 800m.

Action then moved the World Athletics Indoor Gold Meeting, the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Morgan Mcdonald, fresh off a personal best at 3000m of 7:41.55 outdoors. His third-place finish in the Two Miles and time of 8:14.92 was an Area Best Performance.  This lowered a performance set in 1971 by Australian Kerry O’Brien, a fine steeplechase runner, who finished second in the 1966 Commonwealth Games Steeplechase.

Oli Hoare had shown his potential and capabilities in a stretch of performances in the middle of 2020. He ran under the Olympic Standard for 1500m, with a win in 3:34.63. Hoare, a college teammate of McDonald’s now runs under the guidance of Dathan Ritzenhein. Hoare took the lead heading into the last lap in New jersey, and powered home to win by over 2 seconds, in a new Area Record and Olympic Qualifier of 3:32.35. Finishing 3rd, fresh off heading back to the USA from New Zealand, Sam Tanner also ran an Olympic qualifier of 3:34.72, to eclipse Nick Willis’s National Record as well.

All Time List – Men Indoor:

800 METRES

1:45.59                       Charlie Hunter                            AUS           21

1:47.2y                       Ralph Doubell                             AUS           69

1:47.27                       Joseph Deng                               AUS           19

1:47.46                       Ryan Foster                                 AUS           10

1:47.70,                      Peter Bol                                      AUS           19

1:49.2y                       Peter Snell                                   NZL           62

1:48.38                       Jordan Williamsz                        AUS           19

1:49.3y                       Chris Fisher                                 AUS           73

1:49.12                       Alexander Seal                           AUS           16

1:49.23                       Andrew Krumins                        AUS           16

1:49.25                       Mark Rodgers                             NZL           01

1500 METRES

3:32.35                       Oli Hoare                                     AUS           21

3:34.72                       Samuel Tanner                           NZL           21

3:35.10                       Stewart McSweyn                      AUS           19

3:35.80                       Nick Willis                                    NZL           10

3:36.50                       Ryan Gregson                              AUS           17

3:37.4                         John Walker                                NZL           79

3:39.77                       Mike Hillardt                               AUS           87

3:40.16                       Hamish Carson                           NZL           19

3:40.70                       Julian Oakley                              NZL           20

3:41.36                       Julian Matthews                        NZL           16

3:41.4                         Rod Dixon                                    NZL           76

3:41.80                       Morgan McDonald                    AUS           16

3:41.95                       Jordan Williamsz                        AUS           19

3:42.26                       Craig Huffer                                 AUS           13

3:42.80                       Hamish Christensen                  NZL           99

3:44.80                       Chartt Miller                               AUS           14

3:45.40                       Phillip Spratley                           NZL           95

3:45.46                       Hayden McLaren                       NZL           09

3:46.26                       Ryan Foster                                 AUS           12

3:47.10                       Sam Blake                                   AUS           19

Two Miles

8:14.92                       Morgan McDonald                    AUS           21

8:19.2                         Kerry O’Brien                              AUS           71

8:20.6                         Kerry O’Brien                              AUS           71

8:22.4                         Dick Tayler                                  NZL           74

8:24.1                         Rod Dixon                                    NZL           80

8:26.54                       Craig Mottram                            AUS           06

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