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
