22 November 2008
Junior on the rise
1 September 2006
By Melanie Allan: Te Waha Nui Online
An AUT podiatry student is the only junior representing New Zealand at the world mountain running championships in Turkey this month.
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Photo: Chris Rasmussen
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Aaron Jackson, 18, is part of the 10-strong New Zealand team that will run up Mt Olympus in pursuit of the World Mountain Running Association Trophy.
“I’m really looking forward to it. It will be my first overseas trip with the New Zealand team.”
The September 10 race will be just the fourth major event for the national junior champion.
Jackson made his international debut at the world championships in Wellington last year and finished first of the New Zealand competitors with 19th place.
In May this year, he secured his title as New Zealand’s number one junior mountain runner at the national championships in Blenheim.
His coach, Don MacFarquhar, says being selected for the New Zealand team is an “outstanding” achievement.
He says the New Zealand selectors only choose people who have proved they are capable of achieving at the top.
Jackson has been running cross country since he was 14, but it was his last coach, Eric Cross, who encouraged him to try something new.
“He got me into mountain running because he thought I was strong enough for it.”
Jackson says mountain running is different to cross country because there is “more of a point to it”.
“You’re actually going somewhere, as opposed to cross country running when you’re sort of running around in a circle.”
Mountain running can be hard on the body though, he says.
“Mt Victoria was really steep, so I found that pretty hard. I don’t really know how steep Mt Olympus is.”
The Glen Eden athlete has been training with Angus Bell, the only other Aucklander in the New Zealand team.
Also in the team are the five-times world champion Jonathan Wyatt and former champion Melissa Moon.
While mountain running is not yet a well-followed sport in New Zealand, it is much more popular in Europe, especially in countries like Switzerland and Austria.
