The Christchurch Old Boys United (COBU) runner edged a competitive 1000m field in the closest finish of the Yvette Williams Memorial Meeting.
Forde (22) finished the race in 2min 35.09sec, with William Scharpf (University of Canterbury) and Jedidiah Thompson-Fawcett (Hill City-University) less than half a second back.
Josh Hou (HCU) crossed the line a second later to complete an enthralling race between the quartet.
Rebekah Greene (HCU) also ran a handy race and was the fastest woman home in 2min 42.07sec.
The men’s javelin also delivered a quality competition.
Decathlete Jared Neighbours (COBU) threw 54.27m to beat Taieri’s Michael Mitchell, whose best was 52.81m.
Ethan Walker (Taieri) was third with 52.01m, while Paralympic silver medallist Holly Robinson (Taieri) won the women’s competition with 39.98m.
In the men’s long jump, Taieri’s Felix McDonald claimed victory with 7.16m, while COBU’s Takunda Mabonga was second with 6.21m.
Ariki star Shay Veitch did not compete.
Paralympic champion Anna Grimaldi (HCU) won the women’s event with 5.42m, while promising 16-year-old Niamh Townsend (Aspiring) was second with 5.26m.
HCU’s Cameron Moffitt put in strong displays in both the 110m hurdles and 400m.
He won the hurdles in 16.00sec, and ran a sharp 51.49sec in the 400m.
Sophie McCormick (HCU) won the 400m in 57.73sec from former Otago athlete Maddy Spence (COBU).
Ariki’s Sarah Langsbury won the women’s 100m hurdles in 16.07sec.
In the 100m, HCU’s Nathan MacDonell won the men’s race in 11.20sec, while Tamsin Harvey (HCU) took victory in 12.64sec.
Hamish Kerr (COBU) broke a track record by winning the high jump in 2.18m, while COBU’s Keeley O’Hagan won the women’s competition in 1.68m.
