Three Tauranga girls with a Palmerston North team-mate have smashed a New Zealand record in the Youth Women's Grade via a new 4x100mevent at the annual New Zealand Windows Twilight athletics meet last night.

At the domain, Tauranga girls Abby Goldie and Amy Robinson, age 17 and 18, with 16-year-old Brooke Sommerfield and Palmerston North's Zoe Hobbs posted a time of 46.77seconds, breaking the previous record of 47.29 seconds – which the three Tauranga girls achieved six months ago.

From left Abby Goldie, Amy Robinson, Zoe Hobbs and Brooke Sommerfield smashed a NZ record for the 4x100m event in the Youth Women grade at Tauranga Domain last night.

Tauranga Ramblers secretary Ian Bitcheno says the event has been going for more than 50 years at Tauranga Domain every January 1 – but this year it offered the 4x100mrelay event for both men and women for the first time.

'Three of the girls had the NZ record for this event from six months ago and they've now lowered it by a substantial amount – half a second is pretty good to whack of their time.

'A record is a record – you don't often get many opportunities to run as a team like that – so it's good they could put in team and we had that event ready to go, so people can have go and have a crack.”

Ian says the two new challenges, sponsored by Cornerstone Pub, were part of the Twilight Tauranga event's 28 offerings to athletes yesterday afternoon, creating quite an atmosphere at the domain.

About 100 children turned out for events from 2.30pm and about 200 adults lined up for their respective challenges from 5pm, with many onlookers and supporters and families in tow.

'There was quite a few parents, support and coaches that came along,” says Ian.

'It's been good for the sport, good for those girls and good for sponsors as well.”