January 16, 2026 • 5 mins
Kiwi sprinter Tiaan Whelpton is breathing down the neck of another New Zealand record.
The Cantabrian is racing with the national 4x100 relay team, looking to break the 38.99 national best in tonight's Potts Classic in Hawke's Bay.
He joined D’Arcy to preview the event, delving into the team’s preparations for the race.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldergrave from News Talk sedb Town.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well then joining a program at now ahead of a
good days at dashing Town. Good morning. I trust you
well and fit and raring to go.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Absolutely, I can't wait to get running.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, how long has it been you've had that Christmas break?
Have you done anything at all?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Yeah, it's been a wee while.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
This would be my first proper race of the season,
but I did run a couple relays over in Brisbane
about a week ago and I was on the first
leg of the relay, so I got to practice my
start and I will say it went pretty well. So
I'm pretty excited to get going tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Didn't you manage to choose a couple of break a
couple of records over there as well?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
We almost did.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
So. Our men's four by one team was just a
tenth off the New Zealand four by one record and
I think that's a twenty twenty one year old record now,
so considering that was our first time ever running together
as a team, I think we can expect that record
to go sometime this year.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So you can see huge improvement. You've seen in their
four leagues to say, yet we can actually pull tents
out of this and maybe longer, maybe more.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Oh, absolutely, yes, I think. I mean, if we can
each shave a tenth orf, then we'll be four tenths quicker.
And I think, you know, given as the season time
passes on naturally, we'll all get a bit quicker as
well eventually. And once we now those changes perfectly, I
don't see why we can run a very good time
and probably even qualify for world relays.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I had this combination come together, who obviously Athletics New Zealand.
But how did you arrive at these four athletes? What's
the combo there?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yes, it was actually pretty much mostly sol organized through
our own little initiative that we started. Narray one of
the coaches, and Sonny Wordell one of the other people
that are involved, and then just all the athletes coming
together and deciding, you know, we want to do a relay.
Athletics New Zealand hasn't given much energy and focus into
Reland in the last six years, but we think we
could get a good team. So we just came together
(01:59):
and decided, you know what, let's make it happen, and
managed to figure out a way to get over to Australia.
Self funded the trip. Then there we went, and big
shout up to the Australian relatt team because they were
very kind. They let us join their relay camp and
we learned a lot from them, their fan pastic relay team,
you know, Olympic finalists and whatnot. So it was awesome
to be over there and sponge all the information and
(02:21):
they were real helpful. They let us use their biomes
and physios and everything. So big shut up to the
Aussie team for that.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I got to ask, did you question to Gatgat over there?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yeah? I did see him over there.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I also saw our old record holder, our current record
holder still Eddie.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
He was there.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
He ran in the first leg against me, so it
was it was really cool to see Eddie again. And
he did say, you know, it's awesome to be running
on the same track again and racing together again. But
you know, this time we're in different colored singlets, so
we'll have to see what happens as the season goes on.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
You should see the Athletics New Zealander bill for the trip. Mate.
If you're doing that, well.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Oh well, let us break that record first. And then
we'll see where we can go from there.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Okay, So tell us about the Allen and Potts Alan
Sylvia Pott's Classic. What does it mean to the club,
What does it mean to New Zealand athletices because it's
a big event.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, it's a pretty big event.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So it's actually our first ever short track National Championships,
which short track is basically just the new fancy term
for indoors for some people who don't have indoor tracks.
So it'll be all indoor events, sixty sixty hurdles, shop put,
high jump, all that sort of stuff that you'll see
at the World Indoor champs And this is New Zealand's
first ever national championships of that. So the goal obviously
(03:31):
for me is to become the first ever New Zealand
sixty international champion. And if I can sneak under that
World Indoor Championships auto qualifyer Mirk, I'll also be very
happy just.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
That realistic town that you can do that.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yes, absolutely, I think.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Give me a good tail wind and if the weather's
good tomorrow, I don't see why I couldn't.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Okay, you can't use that a good tail and come on,
maybe that's not cricket, is it. Don't you want to
do it like with a wee bit of a headwind
or just nothing at all to you know, give yourself
that I can do this tailwind. Indeed, you're not a
true sprind to a your town.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Well, we'll have to see.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
It's the first one of the season, first race of
the season, so I think it'd be pretty fantastic to
take it off that quick. But I am planning on
probably running a few more sixties as the season goes on.
I think a lot of the other classics are wanting
to do a sixty and one hundred, so I have
some time to chase that auto qualifying mark if I
don't get it later today. So you know, we'll see
(04:27):
how we go. It's first race of the season. Got
to shake up with a bit of rust, and I'm
obviously in the middle of a move. Actually, I'm busy
moving up from the South Island to the North Island.
I'm moving over to Hamilton currently, So currently I'm homeless.
I'm living out of my car basically and just bouncing
around the competitions and things, and I should be up
in Hamilton sometime next week.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I read the headline homeless guy sets New Zealand sixty
meter record. Hate one last thing on this tow I'm like,
I don't understand the finer detail of sprinting, but what
kind of a difference prep wise and what you have
to put down between sixty and one hundred? Is there
is there a chasm between what you have to do?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
No, so the sixty are actually quite similar.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I mean, I mean the sixty is more than half
of one hundred, so basically the only difference is that
one hundred you're probably looking at more top speed work,
whereas the sixty is really just a good acceleration, a
good block start, with maybe twenty meters of top speed work.
So it's a perfect way I think, in my opinion,
to warm up and get ready for the hundreds later
(05:28):
in the season is to run a couple sixties, because
you now that's start and if you can get a
good start and a good acceleration, all you've got to
do for the last forty meters and one hundred is
really just hold on. So a perfect way too, I think,
kick off the season.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Smash it out of the park town welcome, Thank you
very much for your time. As always, have a wonderful
twenty twenty six and I'm sure it will be the
last time we speak.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
No where is Darcy.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Thank you so much and I hope if you have
a wonderful year as well.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldergrave from News Talk sedb Town.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Well then joining a program at now ahead of a
good days at dashing Town. Good morning. I trust you
well and fit and raring to go.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Absolutely, I can't wait to get running.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Well, how long has it been you've had that Christmas break?
Have you done anything at all?
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Yeah, it's been a wee while.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
This would be my first proper race of the season,
but I did run a couple relays over in Brisbane
about a week ago and I was on the first
leg of the relay, so I got to practice my
start and I will say it went pretty well. So
I'm pretty excited to get going tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Didn't you manage to choose a couple of break a
couple of records over there as well?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
We almost did.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
So. Our men's four by one team was just a
tenth off the New Zealand four by one record and
I think that's a twenty twenty one year old record now,
so considering that was our first time ever running together
as a team, I think we can expect that record
to go sometime this year.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
So you can see huge improvement. You've seen in their
four leagues to say, yet we can actually pull tents
out of this and maybe longer, maybe more.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Oh, absolutely, yes, I think. I mean, if we can
each shave a tenth orf, then we'll be four tenths quicker.
And I think, you know, given as the season time
passes on naturally, we'll all get a bit quicker as
well eventually. And once we now those changes perfectly, I
don't see why we can run a very good time
and probably even qualify for world relays.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
I had this combination come together, who obviously Athletics New Zealand.
But how did you arrive at these four athletes? What's
the combo there?
Speaker 4 (01:37):
Yes, it was actually pretty much mostly sol organized through
our own little initiative that we started. Narray one of
the coaches, and Sonny Wordell one of the other people
that are involved, and then just all the athletes coming
together and deciding, you know, we want to do a relay.
Athletics New Zealand hasn't given much energy and focus into
Reland in the last six years, but we think we
could get a good team. So we just came together
(01:59):
and decided, you know what, let's make it happen, and
managed to figure out a way to get over to Australia.
Self funded the trip. Then there we went, and big
shout up to the Australian relatt team because they were
very kind. They let us join their relay camp and
we learned a lot from them, their fan pastic relay team,
you know, Olympic finalists and whatnot. So it was awesome
to be over there and sponge all the information and
(02:21):
they were real helpful. They let us use their biomes
and physios and everything. So big shut up to the
Aussie team for that.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
I got to ask, did you question to Gatgat over there?
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Yeah? I did see him over there.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I also saw our old record holder, our current record
holder still Eddie.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
He was there.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
He ran in the first leg against me, so it
was it was really cool to see Eddie again. And
he did say, you know, it's awesome to be running
on the same track again and racing together again. But
you know, this time we're in different colored singlets, so
we'll have to see what happens as the season goes on.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
You should see the Athletics New Zealander bill for the trip. Mate.
If you're doing that, well.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
Oh well, let us break that record first. And then
we'll see where we can go from there.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Okay, So tell us about the Allen and Potts Alan
Sylvia Pott's Classic. What does it mean to the club,
What does it mean to New Zealand athletices because it's
a big event.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Yeah, it's a pretty big event.
Speaker 4 (03:08):
So it's actually our first ever short track National Championships,
which short track is basically just the new fancy term
for indoors for some people who don't have indoor tracks.
So it'll be all indoor events, sixty sixty hurdles, shop put,
high jump, all that sort of stuff that you'll see
at the World Indoor champs And this is New Zealand's
first ever national championships of that. So the goal obviously
(03:31):
for me is to become the first ever New Zealand
sixty international champion. And if I can sneak under that
World Indoor Championships auto qualifyer Mirk, I'll also be very
happy just.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
That realistic town that you can do that.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Yes, absolutely, I think.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Give me a good tail wind and if the weather's
good tomorrow, I don't see why I couldn't.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Okay, you can't use that a good tail and come on,
maybe that's not cricket, is it. Don't you want to
do it like with a wee bit of a headwind
or just nothing at all to you know, give yourself
that I can do this tailwind. Indeed, you're not a
true sprind to a your town.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Well, we'll have to see.
Speaker 4 (04:05):
It's the first one of the season, first race of
the season, so I think it'd be pretty fantastic to
take it off that quick. But I am planning on
probably running a few more sixties as the season goes on.
I think a lot of the other classics are wanting
to do a sixty and one hundred, so I have
some time to chase that auto qualifying mark if I
don't get it later today. So you know, we'll see
(04:27):
how we go. It's first race of the season. Got
to shake up with a bit of rust, and I'm
obviously in the middle of a move. Actually, I'm busy
moving up from the South Island to the North Island.
I'm moving over to Hamilton currently, So currently I'm homeless.
I'm living out of my car basically and just bouncing
around the competitions and things, and I should be up
in Hamilton sometime next week.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I read the headline homeless guy sets New Zealand sixty
meter record. Hate one last thing on this tow I'm like,
I don't understand the finer detail of sprinting, but what
kind of a difference prep wise and what you have
to put down between sixty and one hundred? Is there
is there a chasm between what you have to do?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
No, so the sixty are actually quite similar.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
I mean, I mean the sixty is more than half
of one hundred, so basically the only difference is that
one hundred you're probably looking at more top speed work,
whereas the sixty is really just a good acceleration, a
good block start, with maybe twenty meters of top speed work.
So it's a perfect way I think, in my opinion,
to warm up and get ready for the hundreds later
(05:28):
in the season is to run a couple sixties, because
you now that's start and if you can get a
good start and a good acceleration, all you've got to
do for the last forty meters and one hundred is
really just hold on. So a perfect way too, I think,
kick off the season.
Speaker 2 (05:40):
Smash it out of the park town welcome, Thank you
very much for your time. As always, have a wonderful
twenty twenty six and I'm sure it will be the
last time we speak.
Speaker 3 (05:48):
No where is Darcy.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Thank you so much and I hope if you have
a wonderful year as well.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
For more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy Watergrave,
listen live to News Talk said Be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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