Perfect weather conditions for running greeted the 83 starters who lined up for the 2016 Gowans Motor Group Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race on Sunday. Go marker Liane Hanson set off on the 17.6km journey from outside the Wynyard Post Office at 9:30 with backmarker, Thomas Murton, starting his quest for victory almost an hour later.
The general belief in the PCCCT is that the race starts to get serious once the Cam River has been crossed at Somerset. At this stage 12km has been completed and the main contenders are becoming known. At this stage on Sunday, frontmarker Sarah Hiller was still going strongly in front with David Murton, John Castledine and Stuart Wilson chasing hard.
Ben Hoare, who had started from the third back mark of 54:40 was looking the best chance of the backmarkers. Of the middlemarkers, Dwayne Barry and Adrian Lakeland who started from the same handicap, were running strongly but just behind them race favourite Mark Saint-John was looming ominously.
As West Park was approached, Lakeland had taken the lead only to be caught shortly after by Saint-John. The two then had a titanic struggle over the final kilometre with Saint-John prevailing by just 4 seconds with the fast-finishing Ben Hoare running into third a further 18 seconds back.
Dwayne Barry and Andrew Winkel rounded out the top five with Sarah Hiller hanging on well for seventh to be first female to finish.
Fastest male was Thomas Murton (tenth, 60:34) while Danielle Mitchell (fifteenth, 74:42) was fastest woman.
Saint-John, a teacher at Burnie High School, was exhausted when he finished, having given it his all, but was thrilled to win, having finished second six years ago. His wife, Lyn had become the first (and still only) woman to win the race when she was first across the line the following year. They are now the first husband/wife combination to have both won the race.
A member of the PCCCT committee, Saint-John is a popular clubman and his win was very well received.
1 Comment
Stuart Wilson · 14 August 2016 at 7:07 PM
Well done to all runners in sunday’s big race , congrats to mark on a great run also handicapper Dale Blyth on a great set of marks! A big thanks to Dale and Sally Atkinson donors of the trophy I was lucky to have taken cheers Stu.