McHale aims to cut just seven seconds | Rotorua Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Rotorua

Finding seven seconds in time management maybe an easy task but try finding it on a running track and you'll see why Ben McHale has been running in knee deep snow this winter.

The former Rotorua Boys' High School student, now based in Dunedin, is in his last year of junior (under-20) competition and wants to get his 1500 metre time down to three minutes 48 seconds or below this summer.

If the 19-year-old can cover the distance in that time he will go close to representing New Zealand at the next World University Games, depending on what American-based athletes like Nick Willis do.

McHale said the event isn't a top priority for the American-based runners so his goal for the summer is to crack the time and see what happens.

His best time last season was three minutes 55 seconds but he battled niggly injuries throughout and ran in some slow races where tactics dominated fast times.

McHale said a seven second time improvement equated to him covering about 42 metres at race pace.

Making that gain is not the easiest of tasks but McHale has immersed himself in training through the winter, donning polyprops, hats and gloves, to run in the snow capped hills of Dunedin to build his strength while also working on the track under coach Craig Palmer.

McHale trains regularly with a group down south which, he said, helped battle monotony with the athletes driving each other on through tough workouts.

The efforts have paid off already as McHale broke the junior record in Whakatane's Toi's Challenge race recently.

McHale finished fourth overall in 1.27.26 and took 13 seconds of the junior race record.

He hopes to run in five Grand Prix events this summer as well as a similar number of other events.

He has just completed the second year of his BSC in bio chemistry at Otago University and bases himself in Rotorua, competing for Hamilton Hawks, on the national athletics scene during the holidays.