Rod Viney

Race twenty of the season, the “Kevin Burn Memorial” Brown Family/Pathway Therapies 13.5km handicap was run at Gunns Plains on Sunday.

Perfect running conditions – intermittent light drizzle and no wind – greeted competitors many of whom relished the mostly flat, and very scenic, course.

Run as a circuit taking in both sides of the Leven River, the race started and commenced at Wings Wildlife Park.

The race was a triumph for one of the pre-race favourites, Ulverstone runner, Nick Young who was thrilled to finally taste success in his favourite Club event.

Young ran a close second over this course in 2019 and set himself to go one better this year.

This was his fourth Club win, the others being over shorter distances – two at 5km and one at 7km.

However, he gave up running for a while earlier in the year when he found he was struggling with a medical issue. Some different medication and a change of diet saw him right back to his best and victory on Sunday.

In second and third were two runners who have had numerous placings this year without breaking through – Andrew Lucas and Steve Tammens – and both must surely win soon.

Next to finish were Chris Talbot and David Murton while Jean-Christophe Bonneville and Alison Riddderhof put in promising performances.

The nominated time winners were Malcolm Nutting, Florence and Clementine Dutton and Libby Crispin.

The PCCCT – Running Club held its first stand-alone relay race on Sunday with the running of the MA & LJ Bates Plumbing Teams 4 x 5km Handicap

The course utilised a section of the newly constructed Coastal Pathway at Preservation Bay with the start, finish and changeovers at the Penguin Surf Lifesaving Club. This provided great viewing for spectators and team members and there was a great atmosphere as competitors were encouraged and their efforts recognised.

Twenty-six teams entered meaning a total of 104 competitors were involved. The race itself proved to be an exciting one with only twenty-two seconds between the first two teams and only 1:23 separating the first five. The top three teams started from a middle-mark, a front-mark and a back-mark respectively, further indicating the good work done by the handicappers.

Despite some early morning rain, the weather was perfect for the event with light winds and a mild temperature allowing all competitors to run good times.

The victorious team was the Bonneville Consulting Trail running Team whose members were John-Christophe Bonneviille, Dereck Van Staaveren, Callum Wagner and David Ridderhoff narrowly in front of Girls Gone Rogue (Michelle Green, Kristie Wilson, Jodie Watson and Terri Webb).

The top five was completed by Bluff Buddies (Grant McCormack, Steve Dell, Jeff Green and Darren Hardinig), Randoms (Allyssa Shields, Tim Dowling, Emma Howard and John Badcock), and Pacemakers (Christopher Talbot, Michael Taylor, Roselyn Hendriks and Cherie Lowe).

To round out the morning, the Club supplied a barbecue after the race.

The hardest race of the season (other than the marathon) was run as Race 18 of the PCCCT – Running Club’s season on Sunday.

The twenty-five-kilometre race – the Troy Atkins Accounting/Wynyard Fitness “Ironman Classic” – is run on a circuit course in the Forth Valley, starting and finishing in Forth.

There are two major hilly sections to test stamina and resolve and the race usually suits backmarkers.

This proved to be the case again this year, with Burnie runner, Jason Fehlberg, performing very strongly to take out both the victory and fastest time (1:36:51). This was his third victory since joining the Club in 2015.

Fehlberg once again proved how well he handles hills with his other victories coming at Railton and in the 16.5 Burnie to Ridgley race. However, despite that, his main aim at the moment is to work on his speed and improve his five-kilometre time.

He was very pleased to get the victory especially as he has not been able to compete very often this year due to being very busy building a family home.

Darryn Ling chased Fehlberg home while Emma Howard having her first star with the Club was a great third, just in front of Ben Brockman and Daniel Yaxley.

Fastest woman was Bec de Groot who recorded 1:58:28.

Other top performances were returned by Grant McCormack, Christine Wright and Andrew Lucas. Earlier the nominated time winners were Eva, Tom and Hannah Ridderhof

A good field lined up for the start of race seventeen of the PCCCT’s season at the Romaine Park Reserve in Burnie on Sunday in cool and overcast conditions – perfect for fast times.

Held completely within the Reserve, the Sea-Lyons Swim School 6km race consisted of four laps providing spectators with great viewing.

It was run on gravel and dirt paths, with a few small hills to keep things interesting.

Sulphur Creek runner, Johanna Robertson, was thrilled to take the victory – her first with the Club – after commencing competitive running last year.

Robertson is another who has come to running from cycling, finding it easier to make the time for training with a young family. She only had a handful of starts with the Club last year but has started in most events this year and that consistency has led to great improvement. She ran a personal best for parkrun the day before and so went into Sunday’s race looking forward to a great run.

Her goal now is to complete the Club’s Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race which at 17.6 kilometres would be the longest distance she has run.

She had a narrow victory from Alison Ridderhof who was having her first run with the Club, with the consistent Steve Tammens next from Sabrina Shields and Jason Scott.

Other runners to catch the eye were husband and wife duo, Howard and Selina Crispin, and Adrian Mann.

Fastest male was David Ridderhof (23:15) while Sabrina Shields was fastest female (25:09).

Earlier the nominated time winners were Freya Crispin, Paige Aitken, Mitchell Elphinstone and Libby Crispin.

The Paine Family Memorial ten-kilometre handicap at Burnie is conducted over a tough, hilly circuit and on Sunday was run in perfect winter running conditions it being sunny and cool with no wind.

A large number of Paine family members, travelled from the south of the state to join the north-west contingent and they were treated to a great race.

Last year there was a one-second margin between first and second and while it wasn’t as close this year, the winner was unclear until the last kilometre.

At that stage, Devonport runner Rhian Miles, finally overtook the gallant frontmarker Ken Williams and was able to hold on to complete the victory from Sabrina Shields, the fast-finishing backmarker, Josh Febey, Gerard Lowry and David Murton.

This is Miles’ second season with the Club and she was thrilled to finally get her first victory after many placings this year. Miles began running about eighteen months ago when encouraged by her sister, Daile Bennett-Moyle, and she now loves it. Interestingly, Bennett-Moyle won this event last year so Miles was excited to emulate that victory.

This year Miles has completed one main running goal – finishing a half-marathon – and now is hoping to do a full marathon later this year.

Miles was fastest female (42:08) with Febey fastest male (39:31).

Sunday also saw the running of the nominated time “Feature Race”. The winner was Libby Crispin from Ellen Burgess, Emma Turner, Chad Burr and Emily Aichberger.