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.