Southland Harriers eNewsletter

Shoe Clinic Race 4-Seaward Bush

35 Runners Participated on Saturday.

6 Volunteers assisted during the setup and running of the event.

You either love a loop course or you don't!! Harrier runners appear to love them, with the unanimous feedback being one of awesomeness after this Saturday's event.

Seward Bush was a hit for the 35 runners who were in Southland over this school holidays and who came out to run 1-5 loops of our new course this year. The Bush loop courses was a very spirited event. Everyone got to come through the support area multiple times to the cheers of supporters and parents, and a highlight of the day was watching different groups of runners come out of the bush together sprinting to the finish line.

For this event our amazing handicapper not only took in pace, but threw in the extra challenge of different loops for different runners. This format of different laps is fun as it allows our young runners to come in to the finish line at the same time as some of our seasoned runners, which I know everyone enjoys. Thank you Ian for putting together a fantastic course and for handicapping.

The finish of the day definitely went to Evan McIntosh, Linda Te Au and Debbie Telfer. Finishing less then a second apart, but there were multiple close finishes every one of them bringing cheers of encouragement from the crowd. It doesn't happen often but Lachie Dunlea and Benny Mackie who both started at 16 minutes and completed the same amount of laps also finished within one second of each other, these two are destined for a great competitive friendship.

Finally it was great to see a few nervous first timers this weekend, and all of them did amazing, we love new faces and hope to see you at more events this season.

Shoe Clinic Spot Prize Winners: Junior-Lachie Dunlea, Senior-Bobby Douglas

Pool Pass Winner: Hemara Officer

From the Chair: Understanding Handicapping at Our Events

Over the years, at many of our club’s handicap events, we’ve been asked to adjust start times or lap numbers—usually due to injuries, fatigue, upcoming races, or personal time trial goals. In the past, there was even a points system to determine an overall series winner at the end of the season.

For new runners, handicapping can be a bit confusing at first. Lining up 16 minutes after the official start time might feel odd—"How does this even work?" is a common question. Interestingly, it’s not unusual for first-timers to cross the line first, as we often underestimate how fast we really can run!

Handicapping continues to be the area where we receive the most feedback. In fact, last year one concern even made its way up to Athletics New Zealand. As a result, we were encouraged to create a formal handicapping policy. However, after some research revealed there was no national precedent or standard, the committee unanimously agreed to keep things simple.

Here’s what we’ve decided:

No changes to handicaps, a considerable amount of time and effort has gone into creating them.

How you choose to run is up to you, whether that's racing, pacing, running for fun, or even walking part of a race. It is OK not to win, it is also OK to race the first lap and jog the second, it is also OK to DNF.

For trophy events (like Gore), entries will close earlier to ensure fair and accurate handicapping.

We believe it’s valuable for every runner to learn how to manage their own training and race days. Everyone comes with different strengths: some excel in the mud and hills, others prefer technical trails or farm tracks, while others prefer smooth flowing paths or road races. Some may be in the middle of a large training block, recovering from injury, saving energy for nationals, or some may have already run parkrun that morning. Unfortunately, we won't be adjusting start times to suit individuals or timing races within races. However you approach race day—whether it’s one lap, two, or three, taking photos, or just cheering others on—it’s your day, you decide how you race.

Our handicap series is designed to be a fun and welcoming introduction to the sport, a space for friendly competition, and a way to challenge yourself across a variety of courses.

So remember: have fun, run hard, or run slow if you want, and let sportsmanship always be the winner on the day!

Southland Cross-Country Championships
Saturday July 19th, 2025
Te Anau, Ivon Wilson Park

Registration Link: https://www.webscorer.com/register?raceid=384295

The pinnacle event of our Harriers Season. The Southland Cross-Country Champs which will be held in Te Anau this year, and we will be hosted by the Fiordland Athletic Club.

Open to all all runners and walkers. This event encompasses the Southland Club Champs, to be eligible to win club medals and trophies you must belong to a Southland Athletics Club.

CATEGORIES: Masters is your age on the day. Everyone else is your age as of December 31st 2025. Example Alex turns 14 on October 25th, because he will be 14 before the end of the year he will be in the under 16 category. Any questions send us an email.

Cost: $10 for registered runners, $20 for runners not registered to a Southland Athletics Club.

Bank Account Number: Southland Harriers 03-1750-0096798-000 (please use your first intial and last name as a reference)

Any questions or queries please contact us at southlandharriers@gmail.com.