Race Reports 2021

A new course was used for race twenty-one of the PCCCT season and a good number of members attended. Starting at the Dial Regional Sports Complex at Penguin, the race had a variety of underfoot conditions – paths, sealed roads, grass, gravel and bush tracks.

The bush track part was about one and a half kilometres of the Dial Range mountain-bike park and this section, though challenging and mainly uphill, was enjoyed by the competitors.

Being a shorter race, the field was compacted and so at various stages several runners appeared to be the likely winner and a close finish resulted.

Ultimately, it was Ulverstone athlete, Alex Reimer, who came out on top.

This was Reimer’s second win with the Club, having commenced in 2017. After a good season last year, he had most of the summer off running and then recently injured his foot while gardening so was pleased to get back to the full fitness which enabled him to take the victory. His love of trail running also assisted.

Close behind in second was Greg Malley who has already won two races this season but continues to improve, while fifteen-year-old Dominic Troughton ran strongly for third.

Josh Febey continued his great form to be just behind the placegetters while Nigel Baptist, Dallas van Rooyen and Aaron Robertson all used their trail running experience to place in “the ten”.

The fastest times were recorded by Tom Murton (18:57) and Lyn Saint-John (23:53) for the men and women respectively.

Nominated time winners were Libby Crispin, Lucy van Rooyen and Freya Crispin.

Congratulations to the 44 runners who competed in today’s Jacques Parcel Contracting 5.3km at Penguin.

Special congratulations to Alex Reimer who won from Greg Malley and Dominic Troughton.

Fastest times were male Tom Murton (18:57) and female Lyn Saint-John (23:53).

Nominated time winners were Libby Crispin, Lucy van Rooyen and Freya Crispin.

Race twenty of the season, the “Kevin Burn Memorial” Brown Family/Pathway Therapies 13.5km handicap was run at Gunns Plains on Sunday.

After starting in warm, sunny conditions, a sudden, sharp storm, which included horizontal hail, tested the resolve of competitors.

Nonetheless, the runners relished the mostly flat course, although the distance of 13.5 kilometres can be a testing one.

Run as a circuit taking in both sides of the Leven River, the race started and commenced at Wings Wildlife Park.

The race was a triumph for one of the strong pre-race favourites, Turners Beach runner, Troy Reader.

Since commencing with the Club in 2006, Reader has had five wins with his last coming at Wynyard in 2017. Since then, he has not been able to race consistently until this year and the work has paid off.

Chasing him home was a group of in-form runners. Shaun Batten and Pat McMahon filled the placings just in front of Gerard Lowry and Josh Febey. All will be looking for a win in one of the few remaining races for this season.

Others who ran well and might also find a race to suit soon were Paul Pilkington and Rhian Miles, who was the first woman to finish and also had the fastest time among the women recording 58:45.

Fastest man was Club champion, Tom Murton (44:22).

The nominated time winners were Amanda Reimer, Libby Crispin and Malcolm Nutting.

Congratulations to the 43 runners who competed in the “Kevin Burn Memorial” Brown Family/Pathway Therapies 13.5km at Gunns Plains today.

Special congratulations to Troy Reader who won from Shaun Batten, Pat McMahon, Gerard Lowry and Josh Febey.

Fastest man and woman were Tom Murton (44:22) and Rhian Miles (58:45).

Nominated time winners were Amanda Reimer, Libby Crispin and Malcolm Nutting.

The Somerset Pharmacy ten-kilometre handicap was run Sunday on a tough hilly course utilising Somerset’s Back Cam Road.

The race became more difficult when an icy southerly squall arrived just prior to the start and while the wind dropped, the event took place in freezing conditions.

Still, cross-country runners are a hardy lot and forty-four still gathered to hear the starter’s orders.

Sisters Beach runner, Kathy Franks, in her first season with the Club, ran brilliantly to record a narrow win, finishing just eight seconds in front of Josh Febey with the still-improving Greg Malley just one second further back.

She took the lead from recent winners Dale Lancaster and Ken Williams, now running from tougher handicaps, after about three kilometres and then was not headed.

Franks has moved back to the North-West Coast after living away for forty years and having heard how enjoyable competing with the PCCCT was, joined at the start of the season and hasn’t looked back.

She has been running for just four years and also thoroughly enjoys parkruns and trail running. Her aim now is to successfully complete the Triple Top run in November.

Other eye-catching performances were recorded by Troy Reader and Paul Pilkington, while pre-race favourite Gerard Lowry finished very strongly into sixth just ahead of the fastest woman, Lyn Saint-John (41:55).

Jason Scott, Tony Abel and Nigel Baptist rounded out “The Ten”.

Fastest man was Bryan Tuit (36:58).

Nominated time winners were Sophie Reimer, Alex Reimer and Libby Crispin.

Congratulations to the 44 hardy runners who braved the weather and the course to compete in the Somerset Pharmacy 10km handicap at Somerset.

Special congratulations to Kathy Franks who won from Josh Febey, Greg Malley, Troy Reader and Paul Pilkington.

Fastest times were Bryan Tuit (36:58) and Lyn Saint-John (41:55).

Nominated time winners were Sophie Reimer, Alex Reimer and Libby Crispin.

The PCCCT returned to the “Heybridge to weighbridge” course after a three-year hiatus for the MA & LJ Bates Plumbing seven-kilometre handicap on Sunday.

The weather was calm and sunny and with the out-and-back terrain being mostly flat some fast times were anticipated. In these conditions often frontmarkers are to the fore and so it proved, with the very frontmarker, Somerset’s Dale Lancaster proving to be uncatchable.

The win was not at all unexpected however as she has been showing improving form after missing the first few races of the year due to injury.

Lancaster is one of the longer-term members of the Club and this was her seventh win in more than seven hundred starts, her last coming at Spreyton in 2013.

Two other front markers took out the placings with Tony Abel and Anne Thomas not far behind Lancaster.

Sam Lovatt and Shaun Batten were just behind the placegetter with their efforts suggesting wins for both before season end while youngster Emily Aichberger had a great run to finish in sixth.

Other good results came from Steve Tammens and Greg Malley. Pre-race favourite, Pat McMahon was not far away in ninth while Kathy Franks rounded out “the ten” with her best result to date.

Fastest times were recorded by Tom Murton for the men (24:06) and Anna Murton for the women (31:28)

The nominated time winners were Libby Crispin and Lucy van Rooyen.

Congratulations to the 58 runners in today’s MA & LJ Bates 7km handicap at Heybridge, especially to Dale Lancaster who won from Tony Abel and Anne Thomas.

Fastest times were Anna Murton (31:28, women) and Tom Murton (24:06, men).

The nominated time winners were Libby Crispin and Lucy Van Rooyen.

A chilly winters morning greeted thirty-nine starters for the annual running of the Winkler Electrical Contracting/Troy Atkins Accounting ‘Ironman Classic’ 25km Handicap.

Thomas Murton broke through for his first win since 2015, running an impressive race on what is considered the toughest race of the season.

Having meant to compete at the Gold Coast Marathon, its cancellation meant that Thomas was in peak form heading into today’s race.

Starting off the back mark, Thomas flew through the first ten kilometres in a blistering time of 32:26, putting him in a good position to take the win. Storming through the rest of the field over the next fifteen kilometres, Thomas won by over two minutes whilst also recording the fastest time of the day (1:22:29).

Steven Connelly impressed with his first run with the club, coming in second. Ellen Burgess was the fastest of the females (2:01:57), coming home in third.

John Saltmarsh finished fourth, after coming third in this race in 2019, showing his strength over this course.

2019 runner-up Hayden Bishop rounded out the top five.

Other impressive results were recorded by Kelly Baxter, Jason Scott, and Christine Wright.

Earlier, the nominated time event was taken out by Brian Paine, Lucy van Rooyen, and Lachie Riley.

Congratulations to the 35 finishers in the Winkler Electrical Contracting/Troy Atkins Accounting Ironman Classic 15km Handicap!

Thomas Murton took out the victory and fastest time with an outstanding time of 1:22:29.

Second was Steven Connelly, with the fastest female Ellen Burgess finishing third with a time of 2:01:57.

John Saltmarsh and Hayden Bishop rounded out the top five.

Nominated time winners were Brian Paine, Lucy van Rooyen, and Lachie Riley.