HVH runners dominate 22nd Clarrie Gibbons Memorial

Event held: 19 Feb 2003

Hutt Valley Harriers dominated the 22nd running of the Clarrie Gibbons Memorial race (23.7km) from Post Office Square in Wellington to Eastbourne Rugby Club.

The race was run by about 60 hardy souls (some of whom took the option to start from the halfway mark on Petone foreshore) who battled gale force northerlies and driving rain and hail in the second hour of the event.

Soon after the start, a group of three HVH runners, Bill Trompetter, Brendon Quirke and Simon England, established a break on the rest of the field, and this group went on to contest the major placings.

Simon eventually crossed the line first in 1hr 34min 43sec followed shortly after by Brendon and Bill.

Scottish's Sally Anderson was the first woman home, and fourth overall, in 1:38.

The unmarshalled event was well run again by the Hutt Valley Marathon Clinic, and included a coned-off section to run in on the road section of State Highway 2. Despite the wind and rain, many runners appreciated the cooler conditions from previous years. Competitors were drawn from a number of clubs including the Hutt Valley and Wellington marathon clinics, Scottish Harriers and Hutt Valley Harriers.

The event commemorates Clarrie Gibbons, the first winner of the New Zealand marathon championship.