A stunner for St Clair
Katie Neal, Caitlin Mather, Fiona Monks, Mel Barnett and Hannah Knight made sure they had a fun time while running through some of the region’s spectacular scenery during Saturday’s Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon. Photo: Peter Jones.
A chilly morning made way for a blue sky day as participants in the annual Saint Clair Vineyard Half Marathon wound their way across the Wairau plain on Saturday.
Nearly 1800 people took part in the event, over a variety of categories. Five hundred and sixty seven runners tackled the 21km half marathon, won this year by Clinton Manderson in one hour 16 minutes 11 seconds. The first female home was Jaime Preston in 1.24.27.
Two hundred and forty took part in the 21km hybrid (walk/run) race won by Gautier Lecomte in 1.26.10, while 155 completed the 21km walk, won by Bary Neal in 2.10.58.
The 12km run was undertaken by 401 athletes and won by Laura Smidt in 51 minutes. Three hundred and eighty-five took on the 12km walk, with Joy Crump first home in 1.14.48.
The half marathon victor, who also won the event in 2022, enjoyed his day out.
“I was pretty close to the time I was aiming at, despite the rain on Friday it was actually quite a fast course, faster than what you think. It was good when the sun came out,” said Clinton.
“There seems to be a lot of people that come from far and wide just to enjoy this run out here, it is a mint course,” the Nelson athlete added.
