April 2018

Warm sunny conditions greeted the fifty-one starters in the longest and toughest race of the season to date – the High on Penguin, Burnie to Ridgley “King and Queen of the Mountains” 16.5 kilometre handicap.

This event is one of the longest running in the club’s annual programme and is highly sought after due to its prestige and also that it needs a fit determined runner to take it out due to the almost constant uphill course.

Northdown runner, Owen Thomas, showed he had the necessary attributes, to finally break through for a well-deserved win – his first with the club.  He had previously had four seconds and numerous other close-up results and was very excited and relieved to finally break his duck.

The warm weather didn’t worry Thomas as he had been in NSW on holiday for two weeks, training in the heat. He was also fresh for Sunday as he has not been pushing himself so hard. He took up running after losing weight working with EPT and has now lost more than twenty kilograms.

Debbie Riley was second and first female thus taking out the Queen of the Mountains title just in front of Karina Mason. Mason led for most of the race from the second front mark and produced a very gallant performance. Ann Horton finished next, meaning women filled three of the top four placings. Paul Birch was fifth suggesting a win is just around the corner.

Brad Taylor stormed through the field to take fastest time and finish eighth. Fastest woman was Natasha Mapley.

Other excellent performances were recorded by co-markers Gerard Lowry, Kyle Groenewege and Greg Smith with not much between them at the finish to all run into “the ten”.

Earlier the nominated time winners were Trinity Luttrell, Robyn Luttrell and Indra Taylor.

Race08 Placings King&Queen of the mountain

Race08 FastestKing&Queen of the mountain

The first in the trail run series, the Jacques Parcel Delivery 5 kilometre handicap at the Penguin Motocross track was run in beautiful weather conditions. A lack of recent rain meant the course was relatively dry and not wet and slippery as in previous runnings of this event.

The field was down a little in numbers with other events occurring elsewhere on the day, but still fifty eight starters enjoyed the tough terrain.

The race was a triumph for veteran competitor, Darren Brown, who recorded his ninth win with the club. Brown, who has been competing since 1981, had struggled with illness and injury over the past two years but proved he was almost back to his best with a gutsy win by the narrowest of margins from young gun, Ewen Troughton. Troughton actually hit the lead in the closing stages, but Brown, not to be outdone, fought hard to regain the lead and break the tape.

It was well-deserved as he travels from Hobart most weeks to compete, having moved there from the coast some years ago.

Ron Chequer was third after appearing the likely winner with a kilometre to run.

Stuart Greenhill started from the second front mark and led for a long way after overtaking front marker, Nat Luttrell. Greenhill managed to hang on for a promising seventh.

Fastest male and female were Brad Taylor, who finished a great sixth, and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Earlier, nominated time winners were Robyn Luttrell, Ashley Fehlberg, Emily Aichberger and Milla Price

Race07PlacingsPenguin5km

Race07FastestPenguin5km

Members headed to Wynyard for Sunday’s race – the Crowe Horwath 8 kilometre handicap. The scenic course takes in tracks beside the Inglis River with a short, sharp climb to the lookout at Fossils Bluff.

An excellent field of eighty two gathered in cool, windy conditions to listen to the starters’ orders.

Dale Lancaster led the field away off the front mark of 6:40 but shortly into the race was overtaken by Karina Mason. Ron Chequer then led for a time bit it was soon clear that the race belonged to one of a group of in-form middlemarkers.

Grant McCormack, Owen Thomas and Kyle Groenewege were the pre-race favourites and this confidence proved to be justified.

Thomas looked likely to break his run of close misses until McCormack sailed by and proved uncatchable, to take out his first win with the club. Thomas hung on for second with Matthew Rolls and Andrew Bates running strongly in to the next two places with Groenewege fifth.

Simon Gates, having his first run for the year ran a promising race to just sneak into the ten.

McCormack put his great form down to the training he’s doing to participate in the Club’s marathon in a few weeks prior to running in the Melbourne Marathon in October. He had also trained to complete 50 kilometres of the Gone Nuts in March.

Fastest male and female were Matthew Cunningham and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Earlier, nominated time winners were Louise Morse, Mackenzie Troughton, Kasey Taylor and Heath Bramich.

Race06 Placings Wynyard Crowe Horwath 8km

Race06 Fastest Wynyard Crowe Horwath 8km

The split division races at Devonport Bluff on Sunday were run in warm, still conditions and produced exciting events.

The Devonport Mazda Frontmarkers 5 kilometre handicap was a triumph for Susan Moodie who was one of the favourites. Although she had won a race early last year, training for the Cadbury Marathon, run in January, had her the fittest she has ever been. Moodie had even run a 14 kilometre trail run at Cradle Mountain the day before.

She won comfortably from Karina Mason and Ron Chequer, and was the fastest woman with Nick Young the fastest male.

The backmarkers saw a battle royal between co-markers Wayne Wiseman and Owen Thomas. Thomas led for most of the race as Wiseman sat about ten metres behind. He challenged for the lead with about four hundred metres to run and Thomas was unable to respond, Wiseman going on to win his second club race, from Thomas with Grant McCormack a close third.

Wiseman has set himself to run fifty kilometres a week after an injury plagued 2017 and the increased training regime is certainly paying off.

Kyle Groenewege ran his best race for the year while Bryan Tuit and Troy Atkins passed almost the entire field to finish in fifth and sixth.

Fastest male and female were Brad Taylor and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Earlier, nominated time winners were Indra Taylor, having her first run with the club, Thomas Ward and Grace Greenhill.

Race05 FrontMarkers Devonport Mazda Handicap 5km

Race05 Fastest FrontMarkers Devonport Mazda Handicap 5km

Race05 Placings BackMarkers Devonport Simons Design Centre Handicap 5km

Race05 Fastest BackMarkers Devonport Simons Design Centre Handicap 5km

Race 4 of the season was the Glow Cosmetics seven kilometre handicap at Heybridge. The course took runners to the Howth weighbridge and return.

This looked suitable for the Frontmarkers who have dominated the season so far, and so it proved to be with Somerset runner, Sally Atkinson, taking out a well-deserved victory.

Atkinson, a veteran of almost four hundred PCCCT runs, was most unlucky in the first race of the year when she as grabbed close to the line after an error led to a slightly longer distance being run than what was scheduled. This was her fourth win with the club, her last being seven years ago.

She also had a close call on Sunday just holding off first starter Terry Watson, with fellow frontmarker and race favourite, Karina Mason, in third.

Having trained for the Gone Nuts race, where she completed the full 101 kilometres, Atkinson was very fit.

Stuart Greenhill led the field early on until Mason took over. Back markers Ben Brockman and Wayne Wiseman were looking good and further up the field Susan Moodie and Anna Murton looked chances.

Anna Murton and Debbie Riley both performed well, while Ron Chequer turned in another promising run.

However, Atkinson was not going to be caught this time and was delighted to break the tape.

Fastest male and female were Brad Taylor and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Nominated time winners were Robyn Luttrell, Kasey Aichberger, Heath Bramich and Lachie Riley.

Race04 Heybridge Glow Cosmetics 7km Handicap

Race04 Fastest Heybridge Glow Cosmetics 7km