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By TONY SMITH - Nick Willis took a barefoot trot around the Christ's College track and predicted it would be "absolutely fantastic" for tomorrow's international track meet. It will be a blast from the past for the Olympic Games 1500m silver medallist, who has been based in the United States for the last decade and has raced on the best synthetic surfaces in the world. "The last time I raced on grass was my seventh form year at Hutt Valley High. I broke a 50-year-old record set by the All Black Ron Jarden, 1.55 [1min 55sec] for the 800 [me...

By Jon Gugala - Lucy Van Dalen of Stony Brook University is a fifth-year senior originally from Wanganui, New Zealand. She and her twin sister Holly, both 23 years old, haverewritten their college’s record books and have forever redefined the possibilities for Seawolves athletes. Lucy is the holder of or contributor to five different school indoor records, including the 1000m, mile, 3000m, 4×800m, and the distance medley relay. Additionally, she was the first Stony Brook athlete to ever compete in the NCAA Indoor Cham...

NZRun will be at the Cooks Classic in Wanganui tonight to bring you up to the minute race commentary and meet information. Video coverage will follow shortly after the conclusion of the main events. Enjoy! <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=8aa32902f8" _cke_saved_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=8aa32902f8" >Cooks Classic</a>

50 years on from a historic moment at Wanganui From Athletics NZ: It will be a golden moment as Wanganui celebrates triple Olympic gold medallist Peter Snell’s historic world mile record at Cooks Gardens in 1962. The annual Cooks Classic meeting has brought together a top class international field for the anniversary mile on Friday evening. Leading New Zealander Nick Willis, silver medallist in the 1500m at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, sees it as being pretty cool to be able to celebrate Snell’s achievement 50 years ago (RadioSp...

By Grant Chapman For Sir Murray Halberg, it was a night tinged with death and sadness. For Peter Snell, it was the moment he realised he wasn't just an 800m runner. For athletics official (and an athlete himself) Toby Bowyer, it was a time when the police detective didn't mind suffering 'grievous bodily harm' at the hands of jubilant coach Arthur Lydiard. For Nick Willis, Wanganui's Cooks Gardens has a special significance too - which is why he is the star turn at Friday's track meeting there to celebrate Snell's world mile record set on Janua...

A refreshed Nick Willis is confident his "improvement curve is still on the way up" as the 1500m star plots to turn silver into gold at the London Olympics in August. Last year was underwhelming by Willis' high standards as the Hutt Valley product faded badly to finish last in September's world championships final in South Korea. But Willis – back home in New Zealand for a part holiday, part training stint – is well over the disappointment of Daegu and draws optimism from the fact that two months before the world champs he ran a pe...

By Mark Dawson Brad Mathas is unequivocal when it comes to success as an athlete. "It simply depends on how much you want it." There's a purposefulness about the Wanganui runner that leaves you in no doubt he wants it very badly. In the case of this self-assured and fiercely-determined 18-year-old, "it" is an Olympic gold medal. Nothing more, nothing less. It seems the tall, sinewy athlete has dedicated his life to this glorious pursuit. "There is no shortcut, you have to put the training in," he says with the certainty of a man who is out doi...

Christchurch International Track Meet, February 26, 2011 On February 22, 2011, the city of Christchurch was hit by an earthquake that punched up like a giant fist through the surface of the earth, directly under the city’s central business district. Many buildings and homes were destroyed or seriously damaged, and nearly 200 people were killed, including a leading running coach and administrator, Brian Taylor. Among the many wrecked facilities was Queen Elizabeth II Stadium, whose fabled track had been scene of the 1974 Commonwealth Game...

An interesting infographic from the US on the comparisons between Male and Female runners: Running Music for a better running experience!

By Ben Stanley - Teenage shotput sensation Jacko Gill has given himself the ultimate birthday present - a new world record. Gill, who turns just 17 today, beat his own world under-18 5 kilogram world record at the Millennium Stadium on Auckland's North Shore last night, throwing 24.45 metres. The throw beats his old record by 10 centimetres, which he set at the Junior World Championship in Lille, France this July. To put Gill's incredible throwing distance in perspective, the rest of the boys he was throwing against last night were hittin...