News & Updates

James Preston unleashed a breathtaking display of two-lap running to crack 1;45 for the first time in his career and climb to number two on the all-time NZ rankings to claim an exhilarating victory in the senior men’s 800m race on a memorable day two of the 2024 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington.

Defying heavy rain, the Wellington local blew the field apart to record 1:44.87 and within 0.17 of the automatic Paris Olympic entry standard time with a stunning performance, bettering his own championship best performance.

New Zealand 1500m, mile and 3000m champion Sam Tanner, who set a PB of 1:46.14 at ITM three weeks ago, had to settle for silver in 1:47.70 with Luke Hitchcock (Auckland) in bronze (1:51.97).

In one of the most eagerly awaited races of the championships, Preston set out with great intent and blasted through the first 400m in 50.5 with Tanner in close pursuit. However, down the back stretch on the final lap, Preston’s long raking stride extended his advantage and by the time he entered the straight it was the 26-year-old against the clock. Powering down the final stretch the watching crowd gave an audible gasp as he appeared to cross the line in high 1:44s and when confirmation came through the spectators roared their approval.

He moves one position ahead of Sir John Walker’s long-standing mark of 1:44.92 set at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games and he now looms as the nearest challenger to the iconic 62-year-old national record of 1:44.3 set by Sir Peter Snell in Christchurch.

Preston, who carved 0.43 from his previous 800m PB set in 2022, said: “I didn’t have a time in mind, the goal was to go out and drop Sam, and make it hard for him.

On was he surprised with the run today he said: “Yes and no. Without wishing to sound overly arrogant I knew I was capable of running something faster, we didn’t get that right opportunity.”

On what has made the difference this season he said: “So many things. Last season I was incredibly disappointed with my season, I felt like I let of people down so coming into the season Evan (Cooper his coach) and I put in a really good plan and we brought in a few other people to the team. Nothing majorly different but better at everything.”

A magnanimous Tanner said: “I’m really glad he beat me in that way, running so well.”

Zoe Hobbs put on a show for the watching Newtown Park crowd to secure her eighth successive national women’s 100m crown as she stopped the clock in 11.13 (0.8). Fresh from her dazzling display when placing fourth in the men’s 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, the New Zealand sprint queen executed another fine race to romp to a comfortable win.

Behind, Brooke Somerfield (WBoP) stopped the clock in a personal best of 11.55 for silver while Portia Bing chipped 0.02 from her lifetime best to win bronze and, remarkably, collect a national senior medal in her eighth different event (she has previously won national senior medals in 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, long jump, high jump and heptathlon)

World Para 100m silver medallist Danielle Aitchison finished sixth in a time of 13.41 to set a PB and national women’s T36 record time to further cement her outstanding form in 2024.

Hobbs said: “It’s a bit of a unique year because I’ve been training through this period and not put a lot of emphasis and focus into this block of the year…lay some solid foundations and then look for the long run lead in to Paris, so all eyes on later in the years and anything that happens in this block has been a bonus including World Indoors.”

Tiaan Whelpton powered to a successful retention of his senior men’s 100m title, crossing the finish line in 10.38 (+1.7) to maintain his status as New Zealand’s fastest man.

Behind, 2022 national 400m champion John Gerber (Otago) added a 100m silver medal to his collection in a PB 10.50. Cody Wilson (Wellington), a two-time former silver medallist in this event, grabbed bronze by equalling his PB in 10.52.

Whelpton, who competed at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow earlier this month, said: “It went alright today I had to really psyche myself up. It is the quickest 100m final we’ve had in a long time and a big congratulations to the other boys that run. I’m not quite where I want to be at the moment, but I’m not scared to work hard to change that. We go back and we rebuild.”

Maddi Wesche popped out her longest ever distance in New Zealand to win her fifth national women’s shot put title with a best of 19.43m. The 24-year-old Aucklander just two weeks earlier had produced the best performance of her career with a 19.62m throw to place fourth at the World Indoor Championships and today she backed that up despite missing out on a distance beyond 19m with her remaining five attempts.

Maddi said: “I’m just happy to be competing on home soil. It was not quite what I was after, but the best start I’ve made to a competition with that 19.42m, so I’ll take that and run with it and on to the next competition.”

Former national U20 champion Kaia Tupu-South back home from the University of Washington took silver with 16.38m with Natalia Rankin-Chitar of Auckland completing the top three with a throw of 15.41m.

Anthony Barmes snapped the five-year reign of Anthony Nobilo in a quality final of the senior men’s hammer. Barmes, the Drake University student who is back for a short period in New Zealand to target these championships, was rewarded with his first senior gold medal to win with a best of 68.64m – 1.23m clear of Nobilo, who had to settle for silver. Todd Bates (Otago) clinched the bronze medal in 56.16m

Barmes put together a tidy series, which also included a third-round effort of 68.63m and he was elated with the win. Todd Bates (Otago) clinched the bronze medal in 56.16m

“It feels amazing, it wasn’t the distance I wanted but I’ll take the win and I give myself credit,” said Barmes. “My family being here is a special thing and also my family back in Des Moines – a big shout out to the track squad too.”

Canadian-based Alison Andrews-Paul convincingly retained her senior women’s national 800m title, stopping the clock in 2:04.54 to claim another 800m victory for Wellington. New Zealand mile champion Rebekah Aitkenhead (2:05.96) matched her national 800m silver medal from three years ago with Stella Pearless taking her first national 800m medal in five years with bronze (2:07.76).

Felix McDonald dethroned Shay Veitch to be crowned senior men’s long jump champion courtesy of a third-round PB leap of 7.65m (1.9m/s). McDonald, the 2020 and 2022 champion maintained his sequence of winning every even numbered year this decade and extended his record to six straight national senior long jump medals. Veitch soared out to a best of 7.42m (0.6) for silver on this occasion with national decathlon champion Angus Lyver demonstrating his long jump skills to win bronze with a PB of 7.36m (-0.6). 

In windy conditions World Para 400m T36 champion Will Stedman acquitted himself well to strike gold in the men’s Para 400m, posting 54.22 (95.37% of world record) – within 0.67 of his national record. Stedman was satisfied with his performance and moves on the men’s Para long jump on Sunday full of confidence.

Lucas Martin added the senior 3000m track race walk title to the U20 crown he snared last season with victory in 13:04.31. Australian-based Arnika Nelson claimed her maiden national title grabbing the senior women’s 3000m race walk crown in 14:15.86. In the men’s U20 3000m race walk Jonah Cropp was marginally outside his national U20 record set here last month at Newtown Park clocking 12:17.85 to strike gold.

Cameron Moffitt scalped more than a second from his lifetime best to upgrade on his silver medal from 12 months ago to take the senior men’s 400m hurdles crown in 53.31. The 20-year-old Otago-based ended the two-year reign of Jonathan Maples as champion, who took silver in 53.91. Alessandra Macdonald led home a Waikato Bay of Plenty 1-2 to grab gold in the senior women’s 400m hurdles, setting a PB of 1:00.26 – 0.94 clear of Maria Sartin. 

Teenager Toby Tasker (Canterbury) added the senior men’s 3000m steeplechase title to the U20 steeplechase gold he picked up 12 months ago to repel the challenge of Matt Arnold and climb the top of the podium in 9:12.44. Eva Pringle (Canterbury) cruised to the senior women’s 3000m title in a PB of 10:45.02.

Madeleine Waddell stormed to the women’s U20 400m hurdles in a World U20 Performance standard in what was only her third ever hurdles race. The 16-year-old Bay of Plenty athlete who only missed the World U20 performance standard by 0.05 on Sunday at the Sir Graeme Douglas International presented by Harcourts Cooper & Co, running 1:00.55 went even faster today clocking 1:00.40.

Madeleine’s mum and coach, Sonia, was herself a former 400m hurdler who represented New Zealand in the 400m hurdles at the 1990 World U20 Championships.  

“I’m excited, I’m a little bit shocked not expecting much,” said Madeleine. “I was just thinking about going out there and having a good time. It’s really exciting, it hasn’t sunk in yet.”

It was a memorable day for Suzie Kennelly, who not only banked gold in the women’s U20 discus but with her final throw secured the World U20 performance standard with a toss of 49.16m. Meanwhile, in the women’s U20 high jump Wellington’s Naomi Waite cleared a PB and World U20 performance standard at 1.80m to take an eye-catching gold medal.

Kadin Taylor romped to victory in a high-class men’s U20 100m final trimming 0.03 from his lifetime best to win in 10.57 (1.4) – 0.06 clear of AJ Madondo (Canterbury) who also notched a PB. Madondo had a memorable day also winning the men’s U20 triple jump with a best of 14.28m (-0.3).

Marielle Venida (Auckland) regained the national women’s U20 100m title she won two years in Hastings in a time of 10.89 (-0.4) – 0.06 ahead of Addira Collette, the 2023 champion.

Thomas Cowan revealed considerable strength and speed down the home stretch to win the men’s U20 800m title in 1:54.06 from his good friend and fellow Aucklander James Ford (1:55.26). Liam O’Donnell of Canterbury completed the podium in third (1:55.45). Boh Ritchie (WBoP), who like both Cowan and Ford has achieved a World U20 performance standard in the two-lap event, secured gold in the women’s 800m, clocking 2:09.68.

Holly Fausett (WBoP) won a high-class women’s U18 final with a new PB of 2:09.55 to finish 0.49 clear of Lisa Hellyer (Auckland. A sharp burst of pace from Conall McLean propelled the Aucklander to victory in the men’s equivalent in 1:55.19. 

In the U18 division Karmen Maritz completed the discus and shot double with victory in the latter event with a throw of 14.29m to defeat Kate Hallie by 11cm.

Troy Maka (Auckland) secured the men’s U18 discus and shot double with a PB of 48.28m in the former and 14.54m in the latter to join his elder brother Percy, who claimed the men’s U20 crown on Thursday, as a national champion. Keagan Sharkey added the national U20 javelin title with a hurl of 52.98m to the U18 title he landed 24 hours earlier.

Day three of the Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships features World Indoor silver medallists Eliza McCartney (pole vault) and Tom Walsh (men’s shot), the latter of whom takes on his longstanding rival Jacko Gill.

For results go here

For livestream coverage go here