Race Reports 2019

The Sea Lyons Swim School six kilometre handicap was the final race for the 2019 season and was run on an out-and-back course from West Park, Burnie, in fine but windy conditions.

Natalie Luttrell led the field away with Dale Lancaster in hot pursuit. By the turn Lancaster led clearly and was to hold the lead until entering the final kilometre when overtaken by Danielle Newall who was fighting hard to hold off two of the race favourites in Josh Febey and Jason Scott.

Shearwater runner, Newall, managed to hold on to take victory by just 16 seconds from Febey with Scott 6 seconds astern in third ahead of Nick Young and one of the backmarkers, Shaun Batten.

Newall was thrilled to get a win in her first season of competition. Formerly an infrequent runner, joining the Club has inspired her to train regularly, rising at 5:30am to hit the road before work. This has led to constant improvement as the season progressed, culminating in today’s victory. She is now set on achieving good times in the Burnie Ten and the Cadbury half-marathon in January.

Fastest male and female were Thomas Murton and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

The nominated time winners were Jemima McLaren, Ashley Fehlberg, Hannah Elphinstone and Chloe Bates.

Following the event, the Club Champion awards were presented to Thomas Murton and Amie Bramich with the consistency title going to Josh Febey, ahead of Vicki Knapman and Karina Mason.

Race27 Burnie Sea Lyons LinePosition 6km

Race27 Burnie Sea Lyons Fastest 6km

The McLean, McKenzie and Topfer Big Six six kilometre handicap at Burnie was run in fine conditions and a good field gathered to run the tough circuit course.

Dale Lancaster was first away and still had a good lead up the the short but steep climb of Brickport Road.

The third to start was Michael Taylor and it became clear as the last couple of kilometres were reached that he was going to be very hard to run down.

Taylor went on to take out a comfortable victory from Lancaster with Jason Scott, the best of the chasers, finishing third, in front of Simon Gates and Andrew Hay.

Taylor is a true veteran of the Club having completed 767 Club races over forty years. This was his twelfth win in total, the last being a five kilometre race two years ago. Remarkably, it was his sixth win in this particular event.

A top cyclist in his earlier days, Taylor raced in a final of the Burnie Wheelrace and also competed in six-day events. These days he is happy to walk/jog 6 to 8 kilometres several times a week. His aim is to achieve 800 Club races and then run for as long as he can.

Backmarkers Keegan Powell, Hayden Bishop and Natasha Mapley all ran great races to finish in the top ten.

Bryan Tuit was the fastest male with Lyn Saint-John fastest female.

The nominated time winners were Brian Paine, Emily Aichberger and Lucy van Rooyen.

Race25 BigSixLinePosition6km

Race25 BigSixFastest6km

The  PCCCT Gowans Motor Group 17.6 kilometre Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race was run in excellent conditions on Sunday and a good sized field gathered to hear the starter’s orders.

The race looked very open on paper with many chances and this was how it turned out with just over three minutes separating the top ten runners.

Table Cape triathlete, Liz Murton, won the event and in doing so recorded her first victory with the Club after having her first run three years ago.

Murton commenced in triathlon last summer after being inspired by her daughter. She is very fit, having just returned from the world age-group triathlon championships in Lausanne, Switzerland, where she represented Australia in the 60 – 64 years category. She was second Australian woman and 38^th overall in the sprint triathlon section.

Murton’s son, Thomas, who started the race favourite, began from the very back mark and in an excellent effort, recorded the fastest time of 55:41 taking third place. He was separated from his mother by the vastly improved, Mary-Lou Troughton, who made it a quinella for the women.

Fourth was Lorraine Shepheard with Phillip Crombie and Danielle Newall putting in excellent efforts to take the next two places.

First runner away was Dale Lancaster and she led until the last couple of kilometres, where she was overtaken by Murton. She had looked the likely winner with half the race completed. She eventually finished tenth.

Fastest woman was Natasha Mapley who finished eighth and recorded 70:21.

Race24 FeatureRaceLinePosition17600m

Race24 FeatureRaceFastest17600m

The last race prior to the big one – the 2019 Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race – was the Pat McMahon eight kilometres at East Devonport Beach. A new out-and-back trail course was used and provided a great variety of underfoot conditions – sealed pathway, gravel road, beach, sandy track and grass.

Burnie runner, Mary-Lou Troughton, had been close to a win for some time with several placings, and was finally able to break through.

Having started with the club three years ago, this was her second win following a victory at Don early last year. Since then, she has found a real love for running and the training she has done, often with her husband, fellow club member Ken, has seen her improve greatly.

Troughton now has an immediate target of beating her time from last year’s Feature Race when she again competes next week.

Race favourite, Terry Watson, was second in front of Josh Febey, Michael Bates and Andrew Hay.

Russell Horton and Jason Scott where next to finish while the frontmarker, Dale Lancaster, ran another game race to finish eighth.

Fastest time for the men was recorded by Hayden Bishop with Lyn Saint-John the fastest of the women and third fastest overall.

Nominated time winners were Phoebe Gillard, Lucy van Rooyen, Maya Bramich and Lachlan Purton.

Race23 EastDevonportLinePosition8km

Race23 EastDevonportFastest8km

Race 22 of the season, the Kevin Brown Memorial/Brown Family 13.5km handicap was run at Gunns Plains in perfect conditions.

Runners relished the mostly flat course, although the distance of 13.5 kilometres can be a testing one.

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

Race favourite, Burnie runner Kelly Baxter, was a very deserving winner after going close in so many races over the last couple of years.

After commencing with the Club in 2014, Baxter took out her first win the following year at Wivenhoe but hadn’t been able to break through again until Sunday. Although she prefers flat courses, she is now going to challenge herself by running the Point to Pinnacle in Hobart in November.

After taking the lead from frontmarker, Dale Lancaster, with about two kilometres to run, Baxter held on to defeat Nick Young and her co-marker, Mary-Lou Troughton. Terry Watson and Russell Horton continued their good form to record the next two placings.

Others who look on track for the Feature Race in two weeks include Josh Febey, Mark-Saint-John and Andrew Hay, while backmarker Thomas Murton stormed through the field to record fastest time and finish sixth.

Fastest woman was Natasha Mapley. She was eleventh across the line.

The nominated time winners were Mitchell and Hannah Elphinstone, James Frankcombe and Mackenzie Troughton.

Race22 GunnsPlainsLinePos13500m

Race22 GunnsPlainsFastest13500m

The Molly Malone’s six kilometre handicap was run on Sunday in Devonport over a scenic route taking in Victoria Parade and the Bluff with a climb up to the lighthouse. However, no-one had time to admire the views while racing over the fast, flat course.

The event proved to be a triumph for female members of the Club as they took out the first three places.

Wynyard runner and triathlete, Anna Murton, had a very timely win. After being very consistent all year, she managed a victory in what will be her last Club race for this season. This Sunday she leaves for Europe where she will compete in the World Age Group Triathlon Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. Following the Championships. Murton and her partner Andrew Rolls, who will also be competing, will stay on for a holiday for several weeks.

Rolls, who also won a race this year, took out fastest time honours among the men with Lyn Saint-John the fastest woman.

In her best run with the Club since commencing earlier this year, Danielle Newall was just ten seconds behind Murton with race favourite, Mary-Lou Troughton in third. David Wright and  Nick Young showed they are running into good form taking out the next two places.

Also catching the eye were Russell Horton, Tony Stewart and the very consistent Josh Febey.

Nominated time winners were Mia Robertson, Mitchell and Hannah Elphinstone, Mackenzie Troughton and Will van Rooyen.

Race21 DevonportLinePosition6km

Race21 DevonportFastest6km

Last year morning rain affected numbers for the Anvers Confectionery ten kilometre handicap at Railton. By contrast, this year a beautiful clear day greeted competitors as they arrived in Pioneer Park so that a good size field assembled for the start.

The course takes runners on back streets and through a bush track before heading up the tough Newbed Road hill and continuing to complete a circuit.

Race favourite, Devonport runner, Michelle D’Monte, broke through for a well-deserved win after two recent seconds. She did it in style, winning by more than a minute, reward for the dedication to her training she has shown in recent months after a period when busy with family commitments.

Her last win was a five kilometre race at Devonport three years ago and this was her fourth win overall after commencing with the club in 2009.

Behind D’Monte the race was much closer with ten runners finishing within forty-eight seconds. Terry Watson continued his promising form to take second ahead of Mary-Lou Troughton. Mark Saint-John, who finished fourth, impressed with a strong return to form.

Others to catch the eye included the consistent Josh Febey, Andrew Hay and Russell Horton.

Fastest female was Amie Bramich (41:57) with Evan Brett, who finished seventh in the race, fastest male (35:46).

The nominated time winners were Mackenzie Troughton, Will van Rooyen and Lucy van Rooyen.

Race20 RailtonLinePosition10km

Race20 RailtonFastest10km

Competitors had perfect conditions for race 19 of the season – the AJL Lifestyle and Yamaha half-marathon.

The course, taking competitors from Turners Beach to West Ulverstone and return, was mostly flat, and so conducive to fast running.

On paper it looked likely to be a very close race and the top ten featured runners from front, middle and back marks.

The winner was Cuprona runner, Chris Talbot, who is a long course specialist. Talbot had won the event previously in 2014 and is also a winner of the Club’s marathon. He has been running with the Club for about ten years after taking up running in his mid-fifties.

Since then he has completed forty-two marathons. His aim is to get one hundred under the belt and is hoping to do five a year to get there. He has also finished the one hundred and one kilometres of Gone Nuts twice as well as other ultra-marathons.

The next finishers were women, with Kelly Baxter just holding off Tash Mapley for second. Dale Lancaster was first to start and ran another brave race to finish fourth after leading until the last kilometre, while Terry Watson was fifth.

Other eye-catching runs were from Ben Brockman and Michelle D’Monte while backmarker, Brian Lyons, finished eighth

Lyons had the fastest time of 70:16 with Tash Mapley fastest of the women in 84:32 .

The nominated time winners were Phoebe Gillard, Ellen and Hannah Elphinstone and Ashley Fehlberg.

Race19 TurnersBchLinePosition21km

Race19 TurnersBchFastest21km

A good field gathered to hear the starter’s orders for the Spreyton Cider Company six kilometre handicap at Spreyton which was run in clear, sunny conditions. Despite the fine day, there was plenty of mud and puddles for competitors to enjoy as they made their way around paddocks and through apple and cherry orchards.

It promised to be an event for front and middle markers and so it proved to be with Sulphur Creek runner, John Purton, from the second front handicap, breaking the tape.

Purton is one of the Club’s longest term members and won the Feature Race almost fifty years ago in 1970, the third year of the Club’s existence. He had won three other races as well, before today, his last coming five years ago. Interestingly, those three wins were all in the same event – the Paine Memorial ten kilometres at Burnie.

He has only run about 220 races due to years out of running pursuing his other great love – woodchopping.

Michelle D’Monte was a fast-closing second – her second runner-up position in two weeks – while Dale Lancaster continued her good form for third.

Others to record promising performances  were Andrew Hay, Terry Watson and Russell Horton.

Jason Fehlberg took fastest time honours for the men with Lyn Saint-John the quickest of the women.

The nominated time winners were Ashley Fehlberg, Leykas Walker, Ruby Greenhill, Tilly Richard and Cayla Ward.

Race18 Spreyton6kmLine Position

Race18 Spreyton6kmFastest