The 7th annual 400m Sportspower Invitational Handicap (foot race) was held at Armidale’s Harris Park last week.
It is a peak promotional race for the Armidale Athletics Club. Prize money, perpetual shield and an elite field of peers helps to ensure a top event for New England track fans. Twelve of the region’s fastest over the 400m distance were invited to race and they voiced their appreciation for the opportunity that race organisers had given them.
Stretching and warming up was a serious pre-race affair as the tension mounted. Some had trained hard for this event; others have had other targets in their sights, from State athletics meets to the HSC.
The race finish was close and it was a trifecta from The Armidale School. The first three placings (in the order that they crossed the finish line) were Huw Knox (13yo), Joseph Vaughan (18yo) and Sam Johnston (15yo). Huw’s win follows a strong performance at the NSW All Schools Athletics meet at Homebush on the weekend. It adds to his preparations for the Nationals, to be held in Brisbane in December.
The athletes were both male and female and spread across a range of ages and speeds. They were put on a level playing field through a handicapping process – their starting position around the track was based on their recent performances over 400m. The format of the race provided elite runners competitive race experience against their local (New England) peers, with placings considered more important than times on the day.
A cool head wind hit the runners on the home straight, making the finish a hard slog, according to winner, Huw Knox.
The Invitational is organised by Armidale-based champion Veteran runner, Jay Stone, who also competed again last night. The 7th 400m Sportspower Invitational Handicap has seen the support for and interest in the event continue to grow. A different runner has won the event on each occasion.
Story: Gary Fry
