Race Reports 2017

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

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

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

Race 14 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Ironman 25km

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

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

The prestigious Total Performance Sports/Physica City of Devonport 10 kilometre handicap was run in beautiful conditions on Sunday attracting an excellent field of ninety-seven.

Some top runners have won this event over the years and another took out this year’s event.

Twenty-five year old Ulverstone runner Danielle Mitchell was a very impressive winner. The club ten kilometre championships are also determined in this race based on fastest times and Mitchell also took the honour of female champion from Lyn Saint-John and Sally Haynes.

Although she ran a handful of times with the club last year, this was her first race in 2017 because of her commitments with Ulverstone in the state-wide women’s soccer Super League. A bye this weekend allowed her to compete. She hopes to be able to have more runs and continue to obtain personal bests, as she did for ten kilometres in taking out the win.

Keegan Powell, last year’s winner, backed up this year with second while front-marker Doug Murchie hung on well for third.

Fastest male, taking out the male championship, was Brad Taylor with Bryan Tuit and Andrew Winkel second and third respectively.

Nominated time winners were Shi Bennett, Will van Rooyen, Ashley Fehlberg, Robyn Locke and Ben Saint-John.

Race 11 2017 Placings – City of Devonport 10km

Race 11 2017 Fastest to Slowest – City of Devonport 10km

Seventeen year old Penguin runner, Andrew Aichberger, was a delighted to take out his first race on Sunday.

The Wilkinsons’ Pharmacy 5 kilometre handicap, run in the View Street Reserve behind Hellyer College, was the second in the PCCCT’s 2017 trail run series.

Aichberger, in his second season with the club, attributed his win to all the training he does to fulfil his role as a football boundary umpire, although he was still surprised to cross the line first.

Front marker Doug Murchie, in a promising effort, lead for much of the race with Nat Luttrell and Tony Stewart just behind him. Aichberger eventually caught him with about two hundred metres to run as the last short climb was approached, and races away unchallenged from that point.

Damien Smith hung on for second with another young gun, Andrew Bates running on strongly for third just in front of race favourite, Ewen Troughton.

Ellen Elphinstone was the first female to finish, with a strong run into seventh.

Fastest male was Thomas Wilson with Daile Moyle the fastest female.

Nominated time winners were Kirra Brown, Ruby Greenhill, Thomas Greenhill and Mitchell Elphinstone.

Race 10 2017 Placings – Hellyer College 5km

Race 10 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Hellyer College 5km

Cool but fine conditions faced runners as they headed to Stowport on Sunday for the MA and LJ Bates Plumbing ten kilometre handicap.

Raced over a tough but scenic course, a victory in this event is keenly sought.

Having just his third run with the club, and his first since race 2 when he finished well down the field, Des Arnol proved a real surprise packet winning by a very comfortable margin.

Beginning from a middle mark, Arnol looked to have the field covered halfway through the race before taking the lead with about two kilometres to travel and never looking threatened.

Aileen Powell, with her best result this year, was a very gallant second from a front mark and was first woman home.

Race favourite, Hayden Bishop ran strongly from a back mark to finish third. He surely must get a win soon.

Obtaining his highest finish this year, Brett Riley was fifth while others producing solid efforts which auger well for the future were Paul Birch, Chris Purton and Ellen Elphinstone.

Fastest male was Thomas Murton with Lyn Saint-John the fastest female

Race 9 2017 Placings – Stowport 10km

Race 9 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Stowport 10km

The longest race on the PCCCT’s season – the Greg and Dianne Woodhouse Marathon – was conducted in perfect weather conditions on Sunday.

The classic distance is a true test of both fitness and determination.

Devonport runner, Greg Smith, one of the top fancies, took out the event in great fashion. Smith, who had previously won the event in 2009, had a comfortable margin at the finish form Matthew Atkins and Dallas van Rooyen, both of whom were running their first marathons.

Smith has also produced fastest time in eight club marathons but hadn’t run one since 2012.

Top local runner, Brian Lyons had the fastest time with an excellent run in 2:40:18, using the event as training for the Chicago marathon in October. Fastest female was Coleen Denne.

The 5 kilometre Tyreright handicap, also run on Sunday, was taken out in great fashion by Penguin runner Lyn Saint-John, who credited her win to recent training with her teenage children.

Saint-John also had the fastest time for a female with overall fastest recorded by Thomas Murton.

Nominated time winners were Brian Paine, Lachie Riley, Tia Brown and Brian Paine

Race 8 2017 Placings – Marathon

Race 8 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Marathon

Race 8a 2017 Placings – Ulverstone

Race 8a 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Ulverstone