Race Previews 2022

The event starts outside the Wynyard Post Office. Please run on the left hand side of the road except for where there are bike lanes and footpaths. Where these exist, please use them There is little verge on the section of the Old Bass Highway from the Mt Hicks roundabout and Doctors Rocks junction. Please stay on the extreme left of the road there and take great care.

Care is also needed where the roadworks are being undertaken at Doctors Rocks.

The work being done on the Cam River Bridge means there is little running room on the left hand side of the road. We are asking that no-one overtakes another runner while crossing the bridge. Please stay in single-file until you are off the bridge.

Care is needed entering West Park as cars may be entering or crossing toward the bike park at the same time.

Please obey any directions of Club officials and/or police officers.

This Sunday sees the running of the Simons Carpets Wynyard-to-Burnie Feature race.

This event, which is the most prestigious of the season, is run over 17.6 kilometres, starting outside the Wynyard post office and ends with a lap of West Park oval giving spectators a good view of the finish. The first runner away, Bonnie Bonneville, will commence her journey at 9:30 with the winner expected to finish at around 11:30.

All members would like to add their name to the honour board listing previous winners, but only one will have that privilege. To win, a number of factors have to come together, but principal is a quality, injury-free preparation to enable a competitor to utilise the handicap provided.

The best of the frontmarkers looks to be Darlene Jacques but the distance will suit Chris Talbot while David Murton will also make a strong claim.

Best of the middlemarkers look to be Steve Tammens, Jason Scott, Aaron Robertson and Jordan Matthews. With great runs on the day, Gerard Lowry and Greg Smith can also put themselves in the picture.

Any of several backmarkers would not surprise and be deserving winners. Ben Young, Ben Brockman, Josh Febey and Andrew Winkel are all top chances while any of the three competitors who will be the latest to start, Hayden Bishop and Brian Lyons off 59:00 and Thomas Murton off 1:02:30 could charge through the field and break the tape.

Following the race there will be a luncheon at The Point for members and their families.

There will be no nominated time event this week.

The PCCCT will provide sandwiches for the luncheon after the Feature Race.

All runners and members attending are asked to contribute a ‘plate’. Those with surnames A-M please bring a sweet. Those with surnames N-Z please bring a savoury.

Volunteers working in the kitchen and are able to heat up savouries.The Point will be open from 8:30am to drop off food or Emma Turner will be at the start line in Wynyard and can transport food from there to the function.

he bar will be open to purchase drinks.

A coffee van will also be at the finish line.

Meet at Goliath Park in Giblin Street

Head down Giblin Street and turn right into Ennis Ave. Stay on RHS of road

This turns left into Dowbiggin St

Proceed south on Dowbiggin St and across the mainroad at the marshal

Continue further on Dowbiggin St and turn right at the marshal onto the old Trainline which will take you through to Sunnyside Road

Veer right on Sunnyside road and continue back to the main road.

Stay on RHS of road until crossed over by a marshal.

Proceed left around the corner of New Bed Road. Cross safely onto the RHS of NewBed Road.

Take a big breath because here comes the hill!

Proceed up ….and up…and up NewBed Road. At the top it will bring you along the top of the hill and turn right to bring you back down to a T junction.

Turn right and stay on RHS of road to proceed back to Ennis Ave. Fingers and witch’s hats will guide you along the path to the finish in Goliath Park where we started.

Notes

• Although Railton is usually quiet on Sunday mornings, keep to the right hand side of all roads and be aware of any traffic.
• This race is a deferred penalty race; handicaps are done for the feature race.
• Special note, it is possible on this race to take home the chocolates without winning. 😊

Railton is the venue this Sunday for the penultimate race of the season as members of the PCCCT – Running Club compete in the Anvers Chocolate ten-kilometre handicap.

The course is a circuit, starting at Goliath Park, and is affectionately described as flat with one hill. However, that one hill, is a long and high one and presents a good challenge.

This is the final race before the major race of the season – the Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race – and, as is traditional, the victor will not receive a penalty for winning until the end of the season. Therefore, competitors can go all-out knowing a win will not affect their handicap for the “big one” the following week.

Jean-Christophe Bonneville is a first year Club runner and has impressed win the few runs he has had. He was a close second a couple of weeks ago and will be very hard to beat this time as the extra distance will suit him better.

Backmarker Andrew Winkel was a great sixth last week at Turners Beach and will be a top chance to break the tape as the course will suit him perfectly.

Other good chances look to be Lyn Saint-John, Gerard Lowry, who trains on this course, Ben Young and David Murton.

Entries will close at 6:00pm on Friday, with the race starting at 9:30. New runners are always welcome with information available at www.pccct.org. A nominated time event will be conducted at 9:00.

The race start will be outside Berry Patch Café. Runners head west along Blackburn Dr onto the footpath towards the roundabout, then turn right onto Turners Beach Rd.  The course heads north, crossing to the left side of the road at designated spot and continuing onto the Esplanade.  It follows the Esplanade for approximately 1.5 km until its end.  At the end of the Esplanade, runners then turn left onto the grassed area through the bush until they link up with the new pathway boardwalk. Coming off boardwalk, runners go through a rocky section that will bring them out to cross Boyes St onto a vacant block.  The course then crosses over the railway track, through the bush and turns right when it hits Blackburn Dr, towards the start/finish.  This completes one lap.  The race will be two laps of this course.

• Care is needed crossing the train line and on the unsealed sections.
• Traffic can be an issue in the vicinity of la Mar. 

This Sunday runners head to the Berry Patch at Turners Beach for the Rod and Judith Priestley/Berry Patch seven-kilometre handicap. This year there is a slight change to the course with runners completing two 3.5-kilometre laps rather than an out-and-back course. This means competitors will come through the start/finish at the half-way mark, giving good viewing opportunities to spectators.

The day will be tinged with sadness as co-sponsor, Rod Priestley, lost his battle with cancer just two months ago.

As the season nears its end, there can only be three more winners this year, and there are many runners who have been performing consistently well and who will be keen to be one of the three.

One of the best chances looks to be Club veteran, Greg Smith who has been showing gradual improvement as he regains full fitness after a knee operation.

Jason Scott has shown up week after week without breaking through and he could do so here.

Others who have been close to a win and could break the tape include David Murton, John Badcock, Alison Ridderhoff and Ben Young.

New runners are welcome and must register for membership and enter by 6pm Friday on the Club website www.pccct.org.

The race will start at 9:30am while nominated time events will be held at 9:00.

Runners are reminded that entries for the Club’s premier event, the Simons Carpets Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race to be held on September 11 close this Sunday at 11:59pm.

The race starts near the crossroads of the main gravel tracks of the area.  Runners will exit the gravel travel and cross an open grass area followed by a short bridge.  The course then winds in a clockwise direction over the western hill, following the marked tracks.  After approx. 600 m, runners will start descending off the hill using the track network down to the main gravel track.  The course then returns almost to the track crossroads before reaching a turnaround.  At this point the course follows the main Sylvan Circuit track (~1.5 km) in a clockwise direction.  Once the full circuit has been completed, runners will have returned to the track crossroads.  This is the end of the first lap.  The second lap follows exactly the same route from this point.  The finish chute will be next to the Rotunda in the open grassed area to the west of the crossroads.

1. There is smallish carpark at Arboretum.  However, as the site will be open to the general public, we ask members to consider carpooling to the race where possible.  Also, could all members avoid parking in areas other than the car park; this includes not parking along the entrance avenue (starting at the site gates and leading up to the car park).
2. The first 800m of each lap is predominantly single-track grass paths.  These are well marked but there will be limited opportunities for passing.  Please pick you moment and pass safely.  Once the course leaves the western hill the track opens up leaving plenty of space to passing on the back 2/3 of each lap.
3. There are sections of slightly uneven ground and exposed roots on course (first 800m of each lap).  There are also a handful of sharp switchbacks when descending off the hill.  Runners are reminded to take care and run to their limits.
4. The course is likely to be damp underfoot, but there will be no muddy sections.
5. Please respect the site and keep to marked paths and open grass areas at all times.

The PCCCT – Running Club heads to the beautiful Tasmanian Arboretum at Eugenana this Sunday for race 23 of the season – the LifeVantage Independent Distributor (Susan Moodie) five-kilometre handicap.

The course may be short, but is challenging as runners complete two laps of 2.5km each incorporating unsealed tracks around the lake and a short, sharp hill climb.

Last year the course was used for the first time and the race was well attended. A similar response is expected Sunday, especially as it is scheduled later in the year with only three more races before the season’s climax – the Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race.

As usual, there are many chances but one runner who will love this course is first season runner, Alison Ridderhof.

Ridderhof has good recent form with her best results being a second at Romaine Park five weeks ago and a great third over a very similar course at Penguin two weeks ago.

On that day Jordan Matthews finished second with Jean-Christophe Bonneville fourth and they look the two hardest for Ridderhof to beat.

Other strong chances include Jason Scott, Steven Tammens, Joshua Febey and Emma Turner.

The race starts at 9:30am with entries (on-line only) closing at the normal time of 6pm Friday.

There will be a nominated time event at 9am.

Runners are reminded that entries for the Simons Carpets Wynyard-to-Burnie Feature Race are now open and will close on Sunday August 28. New runners are always welcome.

The two events are conducted concurrently over the same course.  

The races start at 9.30 am at the Turners Beach Football Club, Henry Street, Turners Beach. The course starts with a clockwise lap on the outside of the oval, then  heads out of the ground on Henry Street and runners then turn left onto Susan Street and left again onto Boyes Street. There will be a race official at the junction of Boyes Street and The Esplanade to turn runners left and onto the right-hand side of The Esplanade. Runners continue on the right-hand side of the road and onto the coastal pathway.

NB. The path is being redone from the entrance into Camp Clayton along to Maskells Road. Runners will need to run along Clayton Toad for this section. It is marked with witches’ hats but just watch for traffic.

Continue through to Beach Road and cross to the sea side of Beach Road. The runners join the Fairway Park pathway near the Ulverstone Surf Club, continue along the pathway past Otto’s Grotto and take the top footpath at the wharf and onto the Ulverstone Bridge. The race heads right off the bridge footpath onto the coastal walkway next to the Leven River to Maud Street. At Maud Street runners turn right into Braddon Street where they will see the turn sign and the drink station. The teams’ second runners commence their run at the turn. Runners return on the same course to the finish at the Turners Beach Football Ground.  

The half marathon races will start at 9.30am. Competitors need to wear a race bib, which will be provided, to identify which race they are in and what team. It is a flat, out-and-back course. As sections of the race are on public roads, runners are asked to run with caution and obey any directions from race officials.

Runners need to supply their own drinks in clearly marked bottles. There will be a tub for drinks at the start which will be taken to the drink station at the race turn.  

Post-race presentations will take place in the Turners Beach Club clubrooms. There will be free soup, tea and coffee available for runners, volunteers and supporters. There are toilet and shower facilities available.