The 21-year-old Leith runner put on an impressive display to claim a third senior men’s title in as many years at the Otago cross-country championships.
He finished the 10km race in 32min 52.2sec, holding off a competitive 23-runner field at the Chisholm Links yesterday.
The race attracted a variety of out-of-town runners, as the course will be used for the national championships in three weeks.
Two former Otago runners of impressive pedigree followed him.
Caden Shields, who runs for new Christchurch club Don Greig Racing Stables, was 6sec back in second.
University of Canterbury runner Daniel Balchin, who lives in Central Otago, was another 16sec behind.
That trio, alongside University of Canterbury’s Connor Melton for the first 6km, led the whole way.
They had opened a gap over the field at the end of the first 2km lap, Melton setting a scorching pace.
That was maintained throughout the second lap, before Staufenberg caught Melton during the third.
Melton dropped out of the race at the 6km mark, leaving Staufenberg to hold a narrow lead over Balchin and Shields.
Shields tried to go with him as Staufenberg kicked in the final lap and while he made a good effort of it — opening a gap on Balchin — he could not quite catch him.
Hill City-University’s Margie Campbell claimed the senior women’s title in 41min 25.4sec after pulling away in the final lap.
She and Liliana Braun led the smaller four-runner women’s field, little separating them for the first four laps.
However, Campbell opened a gap early in the final lap and pulled away to take a 32sec victory over Braun.
Caversham’s Kristy Eyles was third in 43min 24.5sec.
