School run for fun, dash for cash 

 

BY JULIA WADE

A one week delay due to the recent extreme wet weather did little to douse people’s enthusiasm to pound Mangawhai’s streets for a worthy cause. 

Organised by Rodney College PTA, the event which was eventually held on June 17 attracted 100 runners and walkers who raised $1400 for the school. Last year’s run paid for a range of much needed items for the college including science aprons and food technology equipment, and this year’s fundraiser will help the students in similar ways PTA’s Jo Yuretich says. 

“It was a beautiful day and the Tavern and manager Poni were wonderful, helpful hosts,” she says. “There were heaps of young families and some pretty fit dogs, they were all really fast so full credit to the kids who walked and ran on little legs and the parents who had to carry quite a few as well.” 

First across the finishing line were three local students; Josh Lambert (14) from Mahurangi College with a time of 17m 50s who was closely followed by Rodney students and siblings, Jackson Brierly (14) at 18m 6s and Georgia Brierly (16) with a time of 22m. The Year 12 student prizemoney will come in handy as she is currently fundraising to travel to Europe later in 2018 to compete in the Dutch (Heritage) Barbarian U18 Sevens team. 

A degree of competition fired up between former Rodney College students, with Lynne Prictor and Shane Powley taking out the Fastest Rodney College Old Girl/Boy category. 

“The guys were quite competitive in the ex-pupil category whereas the ladies were more relaxed,” Yuretich says. “We made them both tell a story about life at Rodney College and Lynne talked about tripping the boys up in the Cross Country!”

Murray Glenn took the oldest competitor for the second year in a row and the youngest went to a child who will have no recollection of the event due to the fact they are not even born yet.

“We decided this prize had to go to the unborn child of Jason and Anna Kingi whose baby was due the day before the walk and Anna still walked the 5km – we joked they will have to call the baby Rodney,” Yuretich says. “Best dressed went to two ‘very cute pineapples’, Bella and Zinni Kourtlang.” 

A ‘contingent of very fit looking people’ from two local gyms, Level Movement and Fit 365 also joined in the chase including Murray Dix who managed to run the course twice and ‘lapped us at the back’ Yuretich says. 

“We are very grateful to those that helped marshal and especially Frazer Hitchcock from Shane Cullen Contracting who provided his expertise and time for free at late notice to be our traffic management person – without him we would have had to cancel the fun run,” she says. “Also for those that attributed to the cash and spot prizes, there were a lot of these so people went away happy.” 

Two adorable pineapples – aka Bella and Zinni Kourtlang – stole the show at Rodney College’s fun run fundraiser.