Southland Centennial Relays

Format - teams of 3 or 4 run for line honours  (fastest team in category) and handicapped honours (closest to predicted time).  It's flat, grassy and usually fast at this time of year. No watches, pacing or any devices are allowed.

The event is officially called Southland Centennial Relays in memory of a torch bearing long distance relay between Waitangi (I think) and Invercargill for the Southland Centennial celebrations in 1956. It was hosted by Owairaka historically and then ACA took it over at some stage and it was moved to Sacred Heart College when War Memorial Park started to be fenced off for the native plant nursery.

Here's some history... 

"Syd [ Morrow ex-ex- president had a chat with Charlie Petrie's widow about this certificate [on display in the clubroom] and the relays: "A group of athletes from the club were invited to go along and be part of the relay and Charlie was among a number from the club and they went along in the middle of the night and so he just happened to keep that [the certificate] - he kept a lot of memorabilia - and so when he passed away his wife donated that and some other things to the club. Given the significance of this to a centre event, it's really important to have it on display. [The Southland Relays] have always been here for the last 20 years. In the 1970s and early 80s it was run at Cornwall Park and then it was transferred to Avondale Racecourse for many years but certainly it's been here for the last 20 years. So I'd like to think War Memorial Park can be the centre of distance running in Auckland really. It's the natural centre. I'd like to think if we can put a dozen teams of all ages in in the next 5 years ... that would be good given we have our centre here. I remember in the heyday we used to have 200 athletes turn up for the trials the week before the Relays. Some seriously world class athletes have taken part in the relays over the years."