Southland Harriers eNewsletter

Southland Harriers Chairperson's Report for 2024-2025

It is hard to believe the Southland Harrier season has come to a close. As Harriers we choose to lace up our shoes (trail, road, carbon, and spikes), week after week throughout the very wintery Southland months and compete against ourselves and our fellow runners throughout Southland, New Zealand and the World. We come together to celebrate our passion for running, from 1.6 kilometers to the Half Marathon and everything in between.

This year we made some changes to support and encourage runners to join a Southland Athletics Club which I do believe was advantageous for the Southland Clubs but also for us financially this winter season. Athletics club runners were offered free entry to the Shoe Clinic series and discounted entry to championship events. This is because we would love to see every attendee at our events wearing a club singlet, and there are many club and membership options Wyndham, Fiordland, Gore, Invercargill, St. Paul, Winton, Riverton, Queenstown. However we understand it is a big step for new runners and we need the support of both our registered and unregistered runners to ensure a successful season.

What I love best about the Harriers season is it does not matter if you are a 10 year old, who enjoys a muddy good run, maybe getting ready for your school cross-country event or a seasoned runner shaving precious seconds off your personal best preparing for the national and international events. At Harriers, everyone stands on the same start line with the same excitement, trepidation and desire for success and every runner deserves to be celebrated for their efforts over the 2024-2025 season. All of us are there for the same reason, because we love to run, and we love the feeling it gives us. We show up - rain, wind or sun and run. We come to hang out with our friends and toss around casual competitive banter. Our local events support competitions for everyone to help runners prepare for National events.

At the Cross-Country Nationals this year in Christchurch, Southland was well represented and produced solid results across the board. Those of us left behind were cheering the Southland singlets from start line to finish line.

Finn Bell, Siena Mackley, James Weber and Millie McFazdien, all Queenstown runners, took out first place in the under 20 Mixed Relay.

Jason Russell, Scott Underhay, Bobby Douglas, Bryce McVicar, Ryan Carr & Dwight Grieve were 3rd in the Mens 35-49 age group.

Evan MacIntosh 1st, 80-84 Men

Debbie Telfer 1st, 65-69 Women

Jackie Blay 9th, 45-49 Women

Ryan Carr 2nd, 35-39 Men

Bobby Douglas 8th, Bryce McVicar 14th, 40-44 Men

Dwight Grieve 3rd, Scott Underhay 9th, Jason Russell 10th, 45-49 Men

Southland Masters Men Team, 3rd in 35-49 Men’s Team Category

Siena Mackley 2nd, U20 Women

James Weber 14th, U20 Men

Marijn Wouters 49th, Antoine Trouche 50th, Senior Men

Millie McFadzien 5th, Abby O’Boyle 16th, U18 Women

Lewis Blay 16th, Finn Bell 24th, U18 Men

Cayden Sanginiti 20th, U16 Boys

Freya Gilmour 11th, U14 Girls

Craig Iversen Jnr 3rd, Sean Iversen 11th, U14 Boys

Our successes would not be possibly without the dedication of our Southland Coaches. Lance Smith, Neville Britton, Shaun Cantwell, Craig Iversen, Hannah Miller and Development Squad Manager Scott Cole. Your contribution to our sport and to supporting our Southland Harrier events has not gone unnoticed. Southland Athletes have produced fantastic results nationally and internationally at both athletic and school meets with countless podium results and personal bests achieved. It cannot be understated how much we appreciate seeing Southlands top runners show up and compete at our events (whatever the strategy). For all our runners young and old, the opportunity to line up at the start line alongside a NZ champion is an experience and a privilege. I don’t know if it is the same across the country or something special about Southland but when a recreational runner gets to stand next to a National Champ like Siena Mackley, you know there is something special about your sport. It truly is an honour to host our top athletes at both our championship and handicap events. I hope this is a tradition that continues into next season.

Location, Location, Location. The season would not be possible or any fun without amazing venue options. To the Miller Family, The Douglas Family and the Neilsons, three amazing families that have hosted us this year, on their home turf, thank you. Mr. Miller spending countless hours cutting a sweeping the forest on his farm property just for us, and of course the hot soups prepared by Mrs. Miller always hit the spot at the end of the event. The Douglas family created a challenging course on trails and on their property, with mud, river crossings and hay bale jumps in Winton this year. The weather was challenging at this event, and the old schoolhouse venue was a welcome shelter in the storm as parents and children awaited the return of family members from the course. Graham and Alison outdid themselves again, on my favorite course of the year in Riverton, if you haven’t had the chance to attend this event, I highly recommend putting it on our calendar, the coastal back drop is worth it.

Finally, to our amazing committee, and committed volunteers on the ground who show up week after week during the season setting up courses, standing on the start and finish line with stopwatches, creating results, maintaining our website, putting together the afternoon tea’s, and attending meetings. You are all superstars, you know who you are and without all of you every runner knows the season would not happen. The committee has worked hard to find the balance between competitive champ events which attract our top club runners, and fun relay, no watch and dress up events to encourage new runners to the sport. We are always looking for new ideas and welcome new volunteers to both the committee and on the ground during events.

This seasons Vice-Chair, Ian Densie’s dedication to prompting our sport on Facebook has been relentless, week after week, event after event he has produced quality posts. Providing essential event information alongside heartwarming promotion. I do believe that we have one of the most successful community sport Facebook pages, and his hard work is paying off with most events this year recording record numbers. Ian is dedicated to growing our sport at the grassroots and this really shows. Behind the scenes he is also our handicapper, course designer and proofreader extraordinaire. Thank you, Ian, thank you so much.

We also saw the departure of two long-serving committee members this season.

Kelvin Meade- who after years of dedicated service, left the Southland community last year for the big smoke of Christchurch. Kelvin was a strong advocate for the competitive events on our calendar and the Southland Clubs who are the backbone of Southland Athletics. A talented senior runner who celebrated many successes in the longer more technical events in Southland and nationally during his time on the committee. The Kart Sport 5km champs was the brainchild of Kelvin, so you can thank him as you battle the rain and wind on the fast course that despite weather conditions has proven to produce personal best results.

Graham Hall stood down as a committee member recently and I haven't been around anywhere near long enough to comment on Graham’s dedication to the sport, so I won’t even try. Graham was a sounding board for all things complicated in the sport as he had seen it all, and we will miss his skills, knowledge and experience. We have twisted his arm to continue holding the Gore Handicap event (a much-loved event on our calendar). Thank you, Graham, for all your years of service.

I thoroughly enjoyed my third year as Chairperson but will say again I could not do it without the strong support of the committee and all the volunteers, both parents and runners who show up and keep the season running. Our weekly newsletters have covered off all of events and can be found on the Southland Harriers Website for anyone who wishes to reminisce at what was a most excellent 2024-2025 season.

Yours sincerely, Nicole Jackson