Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

The participation in Tauranga of the real ironmen (and women) of athletics in New Zealand last weekend went almost unnoticed.

While the National Decathlon and Heptathlon used to be decided at the New Zealand Athletics championships each year – they are now held annually as a stand-alone event known as the curiously titled ‘New Zealand Combined Events Championships'.

Sideline Sid caught a little of the action on Saturday as around 40 athletes from throughout the country chased the various titles on offer.

While watching the two multi discipline events is about as exciting as watching paint dry as competitors chase points for the overall titles – the athletes earn respect for their willingness to repeatedly test their skills in a range of running and field events over two days of competition.

The men's decathlon championship was first held in 1949 when Dave Dephoff from Canterbury annexed the first national title – a feat he repeated in the following two seasons.

Probably the best-known Kiwi decathlete is Roy Williams, who capped his outstanding athletics career with a gold medal, at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica. Other decathletes to win multiplies national titles in earlier years, were Mene Mene and Simon Poelman.

While the women's heptathlon didn't make its national championships debut until 1958, it was first won by one of the greatest women athletes to grace track and field in New Zealand.

Valerie Young won five Commonwealth Games gold medals, annexing shot-put gold in 1958, 1962 and 1966 and discus gold medals in 1962 and 1966.

Many of the ironman events common in sport today derive from the decathlon, with no better example provided than surf sports ironman events.

The swim, paddle and surf ski races provide the ultimate challenge in surf sport competition.

There was a real Western Bay connection in the men's decathlon with Brent Newdick returning to where it all started. The 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist, who started out in the Western Bay of Plenty, took out his fifth national title on home turf.

A major factor in the combined competition's nationals being held in Tauranga for the first time is the all weather athletics track at the Tauranga Domain.

While there is often plenty of criticism of the lack of a decent outdoor stadium and indoor facilities – Tauranga is blessed with an abundance of parks and green spaces for grassroots and junior sport.

The foresight of former mayors such as Bob Owens, Nobby Clarke and Noel Pope and their respective councils have given us a multitude of green space to play on and enjoy.

The two grounds at the Domain, along with the adjacent Wharepai Domain, are just some of the many green spaces that provide for casual users, who just want to maintain a modicum of fitness.

Add in the likes of large multi use parks such as Fergusson, Blake and Waipuna Parks and Gordon Spratt Reserve, where thousands participate in organised and casual sport, and the myriad of smaller parks and green spaces – give Tauranga residents no excuse not to keep fit and active.

Seeya at the Game