Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Sam Tanner and Rebekah Aitkenhead snared New Zealand mile titles while Hamish Kerr dominated the high jump at the Cooks Classic meet in Whanganui.
An emphatic final lap by Tanner delivered a third national men's mile crown for the 23-year-old Tauranga runner, who stopped the clock in 3min 55.11sec to head off Australian 1500m and 5000m champion Callum Davies.
"I love running in Whanganui it comes with the history too, so it is special to be able to stand in a place where I broke four minutes for the first time and world records have been set here too," Tanner said of the venue which middle distance great Peter Snell made famous with his deeds in the 1950s and 60s.
Aitkenhead and Laura Nagel - the two dominant female middle-distance runners over the past two seasons - produced a tense finish before Aitkenhead won in 4:33.55.
"I was just trying to get to the line," she said.
"I know Laura has a very good kick and I've been on the receiving end of it, so it was really nice to be able to hold it and have the confidence to take it right to the line.
"I had no idea I had won the race I just hoped I had dipped a bit better."
Commonwealth high jump champion Kerr demonstrated his class by completing a sixth successive Cook Classic victory with a season's best clearance of 2.27m.
Hamish Kerr of New Zealand celebrates Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Kerr will compete in Melbourne in mid-February before heading on to the world indoor athletics championships in Glasgow.
New Zealand 400m hurdles record-holder Portia Bing showed her versatility by clinching the 200m and 400m titles.
