But former Black Cap Dion Nash and his friend and fellow former Black Cap, Shayne O’Connor, were still on their usual good terms after the Run the Ridge race at the weekend, where Nash was the VIP "celebrity" guest.
Nash, who was accompanied at the event by his wife, Bernice Mene, a former Silver Fern, and their three children, said he had thought O’Connor would be racing too when he accepted his friend’s invitation to compete.
"He didn’t say no, so I took that as a yes."
But Nash ended up being the only former national cricketer to run the race through the vines at McArthur Ridge Vineyard, near Alexandra, on Saturday.
The race featured 5km, 10km and 21km categories, Nash doing the 21km run. It was tougher than he thought it would be.
"I did some pre-Christmas training, but then Christmas happened, and I struggled to get back to it. But I thought — ‘well, how hard can it be?’ Well I found out. It was hard."
But Nash still managed a respectable 2hr 30min in the half-marathon and received a loud round of applause from the crowd.
Co-organiser Camille O’Connor, a former regional representative netballer who played for the Otago Rebels, Southern Sting and Canterbury Tactixs and was also a fitness trainer for the Otago Volts and Sparks, said it was the first time they had invited a "celebrity" guest to compete in the event, but it would hopefully become a permanent feature of the event.
"It’s just an extra little something for the event, for people to run alongside someone they watch on the television. And it’s nice to have the event out here at the vineyard. It’s just such a cool vibe."
More than 500 people took part in this year’s event, up from 190 last year.
