Evergreen Queenstown runner Sarah Douglas has won the New Zealand senior women’s mountain running title for the fourth time — and second time running — while another local, Siena Mackley, 15, was second- fastest junior female.

Douglas, 38, says she really surprised herself on ‘The Mount’ in hot conditions at Mount Maunganui.

‘‘I thought I’d be lucky to make top-five in a really top-quality field — there were a handful of people that on their day could win that race.’’

Douglas, whose win last year was on Queenstown’s Deer Park Heights, say it’s hard to win back-to-back as the course alternates each year between uphill only and up/down, and not many runners are good at both.

This was her first up/down title — ‘‘it’s probably one of the best races I’ve had in a long time’’.

Her win was also meritorious as she’s nowadays much older than most of her rivals — this year’s second placegetter was only about 20, she says.

‘‘The first NZ title I won was nine years ago — far out, I’m frickin’ old.’’

Douglas says the key to still performing well is a lot of strength and conditioning, gym work and regular physio appointments.

Late last week, her re-selection in the NZ team was confirmed for the worlds in Innsbruck, Austria, in June.

These will be Douglas’ fifth world champs — last year she competed in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Siena’s second placing in the under-20 juniors follows her amazing first at last year’s champs — but due to her age she still couldn’t qualify for the worlds.

Siena’s South Island double

Soon after claiming her NZ mountain running junior silver medal, Siena Mackley (PICTURE: NEVILLE BRITTON) was back in the winners’ circle at the South Island secondary schools’ athletics champs in Invercargill last weekend.

The 15-year-old Wakatipu High student — who claimed the NZ U18 women’s 3000m title earlier this year — won both the U16 girls’ 3000 and 1500m, with faster times than the senior girls’ grade winners.

Amon gst fellow students, Sammy Fookes won the U19 girls’ 800m and Jude Deaker placed second in both the U16 boys’ 1500m and 800m.

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