P Norty Distance Project

With the scratching of the majority of the 1500m field, we are pleased to announce 3 new track stars have been added to the bill. , George Varney and make up 1/4 of the final 1500m field with Isaac also having run the 5000m. This “diamond league level production” has more camera men than participants so you are guaranteed to witness us from every angle whether u like it or not. Tune in for the boys medal presentation and post win interview at 9.30pm xx

Two of our lads have been invited to the Sir Graham Douglas International Permit meeting on Sunday. will once again toe the line against the big ginger . These two significantly boost the average age of the field and with words like “Unc”and “washed” floating around will they prove they still have what it takes against the prepubescent starting lineup up! Tune in sometime Sunday avo to find out

What a relief, Pnorty has had the ban on their ig account lifted (we forgot thepassword...)

After solid efforts from a majority of our athletes at last week’s Cooks Classic, we are excited to be sending a strong team to capital classic for the senior mens 3000m. We may even get some air time with the absence of NZs golden child so be sure to tune in to your local broadcast. Also cheers to for hooking us up with some sweet new singlets

Good-luck lads xx

Wrapping up a spectacular event at in Nelson last weekend.

was one of only three kiwis to make the cut for the elite invitational mile on Saturday night, appropriately given the honour of being the last athlete introduced to the crowd (definitely not because they forgot about him). Our hero acquitted himself well against a stacked field, chopping a few Olympians on the first corner before being swiftly ushered out the back door for a 7th place finish. Prior commitments meant he had to skip the post-race weekend away in Kaiteriteri with his new mates, but there's always next year.

Meanwhile on the trails stormed to an early lead up Fringe Hill in the 21k, before the old wheels once again fell off. A quick foray into race walking saw the lead evaporate, and a painful drop to 6th overall by the finish. A revision of the pacing strategy is likely in order before the next trail outing at Jumbo-Holdsworth next month.

Overall a brilliant event, and the boys left with plenty to prove for next year...

All eyes now shift to the track for Night of 5s in Auckland this weekend. Brother Gorg returns in the 5k, along with and . Expect a big showdown in the 800 with lining up against

Stay tuned to the story for live stream info and updates on which Italian restaurant the boys are hitting up Friday night.

GEORGE VARNEY 🤝 THE SPECTACLE

After the untimely withdrawal of , and with promotional materials and "George" race bibs already printed, the hunt was on for a replacement at this weekend. Fortunately, we were happy to provide, and with a little help from our crack photoshop team, the average punter is unlikely to even notice the difference.

Returning from his pre-season training camp in Japan, will be looking for a gentle rust-buster against the likes of Gourley, McSweyn and Tanner around the streets of Nelson, before the real racing gets underway in the new year.

Boys are ready to go this weekend at the new look NZ Road Relay in Taupo.

Just like his uncle Greg, team captain is at home on a racetrack, often seen ripping hot laps around Palmy on his trusty legs, or behind the wheel of the Norty wagon.

can identify every part of a Toyota Corolla down to the rear diff with his eyes closed, and then sell them straight back to you. He comes with inside knowledge having actually driven around the race course himself - expect him to have the fastest lines down pat for the weekend.

More of a diesel than a Ferrari these days, is back from the garage with a new WOF, ready to send a few laps for the boys before he returns to the scrap heap.

is a master of all vehicles, dishing out punishment whether he's operating a digger, a crusty boat, or a pair of alpha flys.

is just the man you want to have in your pit garage, making sure no sprocket is out of place so the team runs like a well lubricated machine.

George Varnstappen might drive a mini, but that's the only thing small about the big ginger. Except for his times around a race track.

has been talked into getting back behind the wheel for P Norty a year after his last outing. And our mercenary triathlete accepts payment in national medals only...

Stay tuned.

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Predictions for NZ XC this afternoon:
🥇
🥈
🥉
4️⃣
5️⃣ (washed)

Cheers

That's right this weekend is everyone's favourite culinary-themed track meet, the Cook's Classic in Whanganui. Chef Wall in the 1 mile cook-off looks to be in fine form with two solid 800s under his belt this year, and having prepared a hearty breakfast for the lads a few weeks ago. Liam Lamb Chops will also fry up the mile, his early seasoning races indicating he's on rack for a well done performance. Andre el Dente moves down in distance to avoid the eagerly anticipated matchup with his brother Benjamin, but his ability to put together a ham sandwich and put away oaty slices should make him a fearsome opponent over the 800. The meet also sees the long awaited return of Chef Robert Norman, coming out from behind the lens to show the boys how it's done out on the track, also in the 800.

Stream all the action live on the
YouTube. Link to come in story.

Well that's it the votes are counted, here are your winners for the 2023 P Norty Awards.

Performance of the Year went to our 🥉 medal winning Road Relay team. Claiming the first ever senior medal at NZRR for was certainly our highlight of the year, and we're glad you felt the same.

In an unprecedented defense of the title, again claims Wounder of the Year, his dip in the Dorne Cup stream also winning Photo of the Year by a dominant margin. Can he make it three in a row this year? Surely you wouldn't wish it on the poor man. In honour of his victory, the entire photo series is presented here for your enjoyment.

Fittingly, Drama of the Year was a more controversial category, with ultimately crushing to victory, just like he crushed and in their feeble attempts to make memes about his race.

And finally our Athlete of the Year, once again in dominant fashion, was . Richie failed to deliver us the cup, Jakob got kicked down again, but you can always rely on Andre to be there carrying the logs for the boys.

Happy New Year kids 🖤💛

As some of you may already know, 2023 has come to an end, so it is time for you, dear followers, to vote in our annual P Norty awards. Head over to the story right now and make your opinion known. This year's nominations are as follows:

PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
- Our first ever NZ Road Relays medal
- wins Hawke's Bay Half in new CR
- returns from hip surgery to win Manawatu Roads
- 14:20 Night of 5s

WOUNDER OF THE YEAR
- Road Relays boat race team with an embarrassing first round exit (again) despite high expectations and recruiting from Australia
- had a rough XC season suffering from chronic stitch but with 3 coaching changes in the past year he looks to be getting back on track...
- DNFs both Christchurch Half and Auckland Marathon
- Defending champ makes another strong bid with a broken hand in a bike crash then another tumble into the stream at Dorne Cup

PHOTO OF THE YEAR
- Gorg leads out the 1500 at nationals
- runs a PB
- George (a man so photogenic he gets 2 nominations) meets a fan
- goes for a swim

DRAMA OF THE YEAR
It was a quiet year for drama (here's hoping for more in 2024), but a couple of events stood out:
- Anonymous posts on Distance NZ
- defends the honour of NZ Roads vs the Whipbots

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
- Can make it an unprecedented back-to-back win? You decide.

Do you agree with our choices? Anyone we missed? Please fight in the comments, you might make drama of the year for 2024.

(Sorry it's cropped I'm too lazy to fix it go look at the story ya idiot.)

🖤 💛