Race 10: The Physiotas/Meercroft Crew “City of Devonport” 10km

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Victory in the Physiotas/Meercroft Crew 10 km “City of Devonport” handicap is much sought after by members and a strongly competitive field faced the starter for the race on Sunday.

This year’s winner, Spreyton runner Roselyn Hendriks, had been close to breaking through for some time and was thrilled to do so in this race.

Commencing with the Club three years ago, Hendriks has made constant improvement to the extent that she won running a personal best time for 10 km.

While very pleased, she didn’t expect to win and, in fact, wore older, heavier running shoes that she wouldn’t mind getting dirty if the bush sections were muddy.

It made no difference, however, as she finished 71 seconds in front of race favourite Andrew Rolls with David Murton in third, followed by Karina Mason and Amie Bramich.

Other promising performances were handed in by Hayden Bishop, Josh Febey and Anna Murton, while Lorraine Shepheard rounded out “the ten”.

The Club 10 km championships were conducted based on fastest times in the race. For the women, Amie Bramich took it out from Natasha Mapley and Sarah-Jane Tregenza, while Thomas Murton, who finished seventh in the race, won the men’s championship from Brian Lyons and Brad Taylor.

Earlier the nominated time winners were Kasia Taylor, Indra Taylor, Mitchell Elphinstone, and Maya Bramich.

Members are reminded that here will be no race next week and the next event is at Stanley on June 9th.

Full details at www.pccct.org.

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Devonport: The Physiotas/Meercroft Crew “City of Devonport” 10 km

The next “blue-ribbon” event in the PCCCT season is to be held this Sunday.

It is the Physiotas/Meercroft Crew City of Devonport 10 kilometre handicap which starts at Devonport’s Bluff Beach and uses the foreshore path and tracks in the Don Reserve.

Wins in this event are much sought after due to its history and prestige and it will be hotly contested, especially given the increased prizemoney this year.

The Meercroft Crew, a joint sponsor, is a group of runners meet for training at Meercroft Park and run with the Club. No doubt one of them would love to win and Bryan Tuit, Evan Brett and Haydon Bishop will be three of the strong chances. Bishop, in particular, has been in sparkling form.

However, the favourite for the race should be the very fit, Andrew Rolls, who has had several placings this year without breaking through. He was an excellent third in the Mountain Classic two weeks ago before a narrow defeat into second last week at Wynyard. Everything looks suitable for him on Sunday.

Other hopes look to be Dallas van Rooyen, Anna Murton and Lyn Saint-John while a strong effort from Michael Bates would not surprise.

If there was to be a surprise winner, it could be Richard Lawson who is improving with each run.

The event starts at 10:00 with nominations closing at 9:30. New runners are always welcome.

 Nominated time events will be held at 9:05.

Race 9: The Findex (formerly Crowe Horwath) 8 km at Wynyard

Ken Williams

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

This race is normally very popular with runners but this year with a couple of competing events, the number of starters was a little down. Nevertheless, strong backmarkers and many in-form runners meant it would still be very competitive.

John Purton led the field away off the front mark of 0:40 with Isaac Troughton, from his mark of 25:25 last to commence his run.

Two frontmarkers, in Ken Williams and Roselyn Hendriks, had taken the lead with a couple of kilometres to run and were looking very hard to catch.

Smithton veteran, Ken Williams managed to hold on by just four seconds from a fast-finishing Andrew Rolls with Hendriks a close third, eleven seconds further adrift.

Williams, who will be 80 later this year, is the oldest member still running after commencing with the Club in 1985. He is sixth on the Club’s run tally list having started in 730 races and this was his eleventh win.

Simon Gates, Josh Febey and Karina Mason were all close up, indicating wins for each of them are just around the corner.

Fastest male and female were Jono Price and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Earlier, nominated time winners were: Kaleb Turner, James Frankcombe, Thomas Ward and Lucy van Rooyen.

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Wynyard: The Findex (formerly Crowe Horwath) 8km

This Sunday members have the chance to run on a mostly new, scenic course at Wynyard with the staging of the Findex (formerly Crowe Horwath) eight km handicap.

The race will still start and finish at the Wynyard Showgrounds and will use tracks beside the Inglis River, so no road running will be needed.

Those who ran the tough Mountain Classic last Sunday will enjoy the flatter, shorter race.

One runner who will love the distance, and always does well on trail courses, is Aaron Robertson.

Robertson ran a solid “Classic” to finish in the top twenty, but in previous weeks had finished much closer to the front and provided he has pulled up well from that event will be a big chance. Two weeks ago he was fifth at Penguin and also impressed with his seventh the week before at Ridgley.

Terry Watson looked a likely winner for much of last week’s race before finishing fifth and is another who is close to a win. It could be here.

Josh Febey will appreciate this distance and has been in great form all season, while other possibilities are Kelly Baxter, Ewen Troughton and Tim Dowling. If it turns out to be a frontmarkers’ race then Ken Williams and Ros Hendriks could take the win.

Members are reminded to wear both their timing chips and chest numbers and to register by 9:30 with a 10:00 start. New runners are always welcome.

Nominated time events will be held at 9:05.

News from the committee meeting May 13th

At the committee meeting last night (May 13th) some decisions were made that we would like to share with you.

First, there was strong support from members for the 5 km Fish Frenzy race on July 14 to be a massed start, sealed handicap event. This race doubles as the Club 5 km championship. The committee decided to make this race a sealed handicap for this year.

Second, Hayden Bishop had offered to set up a system to enable us to take on-line entries and registrations. He kindly attended and demonstrated how it would work. The committee agreed to trial the system for the Ironman Classic, run on July 7. Stay tuned for more information.

Finally, it was decided to allow nominated time runners who are 12, 13 or 14 years old, to run in Club 5 km and 6 km events as non-competitive entrants. They would be timed by hand timers (not chip) and of course not be eligible for prize money. The handicapper would place them on a mark which would mean they wouldn’t finish near the front of the race. Thus they couldn’t affect results nor break the tape. We expect only two or three of our nominated time members will be involved in this way.

Race 8: The High on Penguin Mountain Classic Burnie to Ridgley 16.5km

Kim small

Warm sunny conditions greeted the forty-two starters in the longest and hardest race of the season to date – the High on Penguin, Burnie to Ridgley “Mountain Classic” 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.

The race proved to be a triumph for Ulverstone runner, Kim Steven, who once again showed his liking for the most challenging events.

Steven is also a dual winner of the equally as tough, 25 kilometre Ironman Classic in the Forth Valley and is a regular competitor at the coastal trial run, Gone Nuts.

He had run third in this event two years ago and was thrilled to breakthrough, albeit for a narrow win over the extreme backmarker, Thomas Murton, who ran a wonderful race to pass every competitor but Steven and also take out the fastest time of 60:38.

The fastest woman was Amie Bramich, who also took out fifth place, continuing her great season

Andrew Rolls, was a strong third from a back mark, just in front of middle-marker Terry Watson who looked a likely winner at the half-way mark and should salute soon.

Other excellent performances were recorded by Hayden Bishop and Evan Brett, while Karina Mason showed her liking for longer events with a great run into ninth. The winner from two years ago, Ellen Elphinstone rounded out “the ten”.

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Drinks during the Mountain Classic

Like other running organisations we are keen to reduce our impact on the environment. Consequently we are going to try to limit the use of disposable plastic cups in our events.

Could runners in the Mountain Classic on Sunday please provide their own drinks in drink bottles, labelled with your name and race number (see example). There will be a box at the start in which to place them. Please have them in the box by 10:00am.

They will be taken to the drink station for you and then to Ridgley for you to collect.

Also there will be a soup lunch provided after the event. A big thank you to our soup makers.

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Burnie-Ridgley: The High on Penguin “Mountain Classic” 16.5km

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The first of the season’s “blue ribbon” events occurs this Sunday with the running of the time-honoured High on Penguin Mountain Classic.

The course is a tough16.5km from Burnie Park. It travels via West Park Grove, Mooreville and West Mooreville Roads to the finish at Ridgley. It is mostly uphill and members look forward to this event to test their fitness and resolve.

The winner is usually a runner who doesn’t necessarily have a fast pace but rather stamina and the determination to keep pushing hard.

One who fits the bill is David Murton. He is proven over longer distances and is in good form. His best recent placing was a sixth at Don but this will suit him much better than the 7km of that event.

Amie Bramich won two races last year but will be a top chance as she has further improved. She has been recording fantastic times and a win would not surprise.

Brian Lyons will be the last away but he will love the distance and hills and would be a deserving winner. The other backmarkers, Evan Brett and Thomas Murton also look to be top chances, while Aaron Robertson, Andrew Rolls, Terry Watson and Josh Febey cannot ruled out as each is nearing a win and it could be here.

Entries have closed and the first runner will be away at 9:30.

Runners are reminded to wear timing chips and chest numbers.

There will be no nominated time events this week..

Race7: The Greg and Darlene Jacques Parcel Contracting 5km at Penguin

John Badcock

The Jacques Parcel Contracting five kilometre handicap was conducted at the Penguin Motocross track and was run in beautiful weather. The course took competitors into the surrounding bush and the off-road conditions were appreciated as a change from recent road running.

A good sized field entered and racing was very competitive.

The race was a triumph for middle-marker, John Badcock. who took the lead from fronties John Purton and Tim Dowling with about a kilometre to run and managed to hold off the charging backmarkers. It was a popular win as for Badcock, from Yolla, it was his first success after commencing with the Club in 2015.

He has also struggled to gain full fitness and confidence, after an horrific fall during a bicycle race two years ago when he broke his femur.

Badcock hung on to triumph by the narrow margin of just one second from Ewen Troughton, who was also just beaten into second in this race last year. Dallas van Rooyen was third, just six seconds further back, with Ben Brockman, having his first start for the year, a close fourth.

Dowling, a previous winner of this race, held on for a good seventh with race favourite, Hayden Bishop finishing ninth.

Troughton had fastest time among the men with Amie Bramich fastest of the women.

Nominated time winners were Hannah Elphinstone, Maya Bramich, Mackenzie Troughton and Tom Winkel.

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