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Rod Viney

Race 17 Spreyton Cider Co 5km

Allan small

Devonport runner, Allan Bakes, has won the Spreyton Cider Co five kilometre handicap at Spreyton on Sunday.

Bakes was strongly fancied to win after an excellent second the previous week and certainly lived up to expectations..

This was Bakes third win with the club, his last coming in the final race of 2015.

Bakes was very pleased to win especially as he will soon be 74. He doesn’t do a lot of training but has natural fitness and always runs consistently well.

After holding off Bakes until close to the finish, Club president, Barry Ling, achieved his best result for some time, finishing second. He has been plagued by injuries recently but now can look forward to a win soon.

Strong performances were turned in by Ron Chequer, Cobie Walker and Thomas Wilson while Andrew Plapp finished in the top ten in a promising sign for the future.

Fastest female was Lyn Saint-John with Brad Taylor the fastest male.

Nominated time winners were Harry and Blake Taylor, Julie Elphinstone and Will van Rooyen.

Race 17 2017 Placings – Spreyton 5km

Race 17 2017 Fastest to Slowest -Spreyton Cider 5km

By Rod Viney, ago

Spreyton Cider 5km Trail Run

The Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania heads to Spreyton this week for the Spreyton Cider 5km handicap.

This is the third in the series of four trail runs. The course will take competitors on an out and back course through apple and cherry orchards and on country tracks. The off-road runs have proven very popular and a large field is expected.

This looks the perfect race for Alan Bakes. The septuagenarian showed some good form last week with an excellent second. He would not have to improve much to take this out.

However, these shorter races are generally hotly contested and there are a host of other chances.

Tobin Mason is a young runner who ran a great fourth last race and looks well suited. Liz Murton could fly the flag for the women while Dane Febey is getting fitter and could surprise.

The contests for fastest times look to be at the mercy of Lyn Saint-John and Brad Taylor for the women and men respectively.

Entries close at 9:30 with the race commencing at 10:00am

Nominated time events will be held at 9:10.

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 16: Molly Malone’s 6km handicap

Susan small

Barrington athlete, Susan Moodie, was excited to win her first PCCCT when she took out the Molly Malone’s six kilometre handicap at Devonport on Sunday.

Well suited by the distance and flattish course, which used the paths beside the Mersey and the track to the Bluff Lighthouse, Moodie took her chance and ended up having a comfortable victory.

One of the club veterans, Alan Bakes was a gallant second with the much improved Matthew Rolls finishing third.

Moodie was surprised but delighted with her win. Although she had been running consistently, she had not been able to get into the placings previously this season.

Race favourite, Eric Hughes, looked a chance early in the race off his front mark but was not able to match the efforts of the placegetters as runners headed back along Victoria Parade.

Others to show good form were Tobin Mason, Liz Murton and David Wright.

Fastest female was Lyn Saint-John with the consistent Brad Taylor fastest male.

Nominated time winners were Shi Bennett, Heidi D’Monte, Sandra Elphinstone and Hannah Elphinstone.

Race 16 2017 Placings -Molly Malone’s 6km

Race 16 2017 Fastest to Slowest -Molly Malone’s 6km

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 15: Paine Family Memorial 10km handicap at Burnie

Hayden small

Pre-race favourite, Devonport runner, Hayden Bishop, took out an exciting Paine Family Memorial 10 kilometre handicap at Burnie on Sunday.

Bishop had been threatening to win a race for some time and was delighted to finally breast the tape, after taking the lead with just 300 metres to run, to win by just two seconds.

He was chased to the line by a gallant Cobie Walker, for whom a win must be just around the corner, with Lyn Saint-John third.

Bishop has been a consistent competitor with the club this year after only having two runs late last season, after he was encouraged to take up the sport by his father-in-law, Club stalwart Greg Smith. Smith has also provided some training tips enabling Bishop to make steady improvement.

Owen Thomas, in his first season with the club continues to improve and finished fourth with other strong performances recorded by Chris Purton, Eric Hughes and Isaac Troughton who was fastest male.

Saint-John was the fastest female.

Nominated time winners were Emily Aichberger, Will van Rooyen, Ashley Fehlberg, Thomas Ward and Mia Fehlberg.

Race 15 2017 Placings – Burnie Paine’s Memorial 10km

Race 15 2017 Fastest to Slowest- Burnie Paine’s Memorial 10km

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 15: Paine Family Memorial 10km handicap at Burnie

The Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania resumes its season this Sunday, following a break for the Launceston Ten, with the Paine Family Memorial ten kilometre handicap.

The event starts at finishes at the Burnie Council depot in Three Mile Line and covers a hilly circuit course over Mooreville and West Mooreville Roads.

Hayden Bishop has been in great form and looks to be a top chance to take this out. He ran an excellent time in Launceston over this distance and rested from the Iron Man two weeks ago.

Kim Reader could be his main danger. The hilly course will suit the slightly built Reader and she will be looking a winning chance at some stage.

Lorraine Shepheard off a front mark is also going to be hard to run down although first she will have to catch veteran Eric Hughes who is in great form.

Others likely to show up include Ann Horton and Owen Thomas.

Entries close at 9:30 with the race commencing at 10:00am

The nominated time event to be held at 9:10 will be the feature race for the year, and have extra prizes.

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 14: Burnie Trophy Centre/Troy Atkins Accounting Forth “Iron Man Classic” 25km

Chris small

Considered by many as the toughest race of the season, the Burnie Trophy House/Troy Atkins Accounting “Iron Man Classic”, a 25 kilometre circuit course in the Forth Valley, was run on Sunday

Wins in this race are prized and Penguin runner Chris Purton was delighted with his win. He was also surprised with the time he ran, far exceeding his own expectations. On reflection, he put this down to not umpiring in the NWFL on the day prior, due to their having a bye weekend. Purton sometimes umpires two games on Saturdays, but on Sunday with fresh legs he took the lead about the 17 kilometre mark and was never headed to record a comfortable victory.

He was chased home by a gallant Kim Reader while pre-race favourite, Sally Haynes ran an excellent third.

Other top runs were recorded by Greg Smith and Cobie Walker, while Karina Mason, who led for much of the early part of the race, hung on for seventh. Kim Stevens, a dual winner of this race, again showed his liking for the course, finishing sixth.

Fastest time was taken out by Ewen Troughton with Sally Haynes the fastest female.

Nominated time winners were Lachie Riley, Trinity Luttrell and Louise Morse.

Race 14 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Ironman 25km

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 14 – Iron Man Classic

2017 Iron Man handicaps

The Burnie Trophy Centre/Troy Atkins Accounting “Iron Man Classic” will be conducted this Sunday with an earlier start of 9:00am. (Nominated time events will be at 9:30am).

The 25 kilometre handicap event covers a tough circuit course in the Forth Valley starting and finishing at the Forth Oval. Each year members look forward to challenging themselves in this race, especially as they attempt the notorious “Hamstring Hill” which comes 17 kilometres into the race. Even after the hills are finished the fast two kilometre stretch down Forth Road back to the township takes its toll on tired legs.

This event suits hardened athletes who have been training over longer distances incorporating hills.

Judging on her great effort to run second in the “King of the Mountains” two weeks ago, Sally Haynes has been doing just that and will have a second to none chance. She looked the likely winner of that race until the last couple of kilometres.

Shane Hanson runs many ultra-events and this will suit him down to the ground. He ran well over the shorter trip last week.

Kim Reader and Evan Brett are others doing plenty of training and a win by either would not surprise.

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 13 WT House 8km at Stanley

Doug small

Race thirteen of the PCCCT season, the WT House “Steve Hanson Memorial” 8 kilometre handicap, was run at Stanley on Sunday in overcast, but fine, conditions.

After a series of recent excellent runs, Somerset athlete, Doug Murchie, broke through in his second season with the club. A regular also with the Coastal Seniors Cycling Club, this was Murchie’s maiden win with either and he was delighted to finally have his first trophy.

Starting from a front mark, Murchie overtook go-marker, John Lucas, about 3 kilometres in to the race and then was able to hold off the charging field. His aim now is to break one hour for ten kilometres, a feat he hopes to achieve before the end of the season

Second was veteran, Eric Hughes, the oldest regular club runner, with Chris Purton a promising third. Lorraine Shepheard and Ann Horton were the next to finish and both look set to win soon.

Fastest time was taken out by Ewen Troughton with Lyn Saint-John the fastest female.

Nominated time winners were Thomas Ward, Tali Brown, Louise Morse and Jan Purton.

Race 13 2017 Placings – Stanley 8km

Race 13 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Stanley 8km

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 13: Stanley 8km

Beautiful Stanley is the setting for the next race in the PCCCT season. Starting and finishing at the Stanley Oval, the course takes runners on a circuit around the Green Hills

The WT House “Steve Hanson Memorial” is 8 kilometres – a distance that will be welcomed by runners following last week’s tough 16.5 kilometres.

This could be a front markers’ race and one who looks particularly well suited is Doug Murchie. Murchie has worked hard to greatly improved his fitness this year and ran a great third in the City of Devonport 10km event two weeks ago and was also close-up the week before where he finished sixth. He will certainly prove hard to run down.

Chris Purton could be a danger. He was unable to run last week and will have fresh legs.

Another front marker who rested last week and who will fancy herself to win this, is Lorraine Shepheard. Shepheard has been thereabouts without getting into the placings and this race will suit.

This event will start at the slightly later time of 10:30 with entries closing at 10:00.

Nominated time events will be held at 9:45.

By Rod Viney, ago

Race 12 High on Penguin King of the Mountains

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An excellent field of 66 runners gathered to hear the starter’s orders before the tough High on Penguin “King of the Mountains” 16.5 kilometre handicap on Sunday.

The forecast rain and wind did not eventuate and the “blue ribbon” event, which takes runners from Burnie Park to Ridgley was held in perfect conditions.

The race turned out to be an exciting one with many competitors looking winning chances at various stages.

In the end it was a happy Ellen Elphinstone who broke the tape first. Elphinstone has had a rough twelve months with a persistent injury but has found lots of bike riding and less running has returned her to fitness while enabling her to compete with fresh legs.

Taking the lead about the ten kilometre mark, she hung on to beat a tenacious Sally Haynes with backmarker, Brad Taylor, storming through the field for third. He took fastest time in an impressive 61:08. Haynes was the fastest woman.

Michael Miller ran a promising race to finish fifth while husband and wife team, Troy and Kim Reader both finished in the top ten.

Nominated time winners were Lucy van Rooyen, Ashley Fehlberg, Mia Fehlberg and Brian Paine.

Race 12 2017 Placings – King of the Mountains

Race 12 2017 Fastest to Slowest – King of the Mountains

By Rod Viney, ago