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A good field gathered to hear the starter’s orders for the Spreyton Cider Company five kilometre handicap at Spreyton. This was the third race in the popular trail run series and there was plenty of mud and puddles for competitors to enjoy as they made their way through apple and cherry orchards.

It promised to be an event for front and middle markers and so it proved to be with Devonport runner, Amie Bramich, taking out an overdue win.

This was Bramich’s first win with the Club in her third season of competitive running and she was delighted to finally break through after being close in several recent events.

She began quickly and was concerned that it might be too fast and she would fade late in the race, but she continued strongly and had a comfortable win after taking the lead from Natalie Luttrell with about a kilometre to run. Ken Troughton continued his recent good form to finish second with pre-race favourite, Alan Bakes, finishing third.

Barry Ling and Roslyn Hendriks ran promising races while Dallas van Rooyen and Russell Horton indicated they will be hard to beat in the much longer events coming up.

Brad Taylor took fastest time honours for the men with Michelle d’Monte the quickest of the women.

The nominated time winners were Kasia and Indra Taylor, Lucy van Rooyen and Ashley Fehlberg.

Race18 Line Position Spreyton Cider 5km Trail Run

Race18 Fastest Spreyton Cider 5km Trail Run

Horrendous conditions faced runners competing in race 17 of the season – the Raymond Spinks/CRC twelve kilometres at Somerset. While there was no rain, very cold, gale force winds made running extremely difficult.

However, this did not stop a good field of forty-eight hardy competitors from setting off on the hilly circuit course which commences with a four kilometre climb up the Murchison Highway.

After showing promise in several races this year, it was Somerset runner, Neville Sweetman who hung on for a well-deserved win, his fifth with the club in over five hundred starts. Sweetman started from one of the front marks, being the eighth runner away, and defied the odds to take out the win as the course and conditions better suited backmarkers. This added credit to his victory.

Sweetman’s win was well overdue as he had run in nearly two hundred and fifty PCCCT races since his last victory in 2006.

Backmarker Troy Reader finished very strongly to finish second, beaten by just five seconds. Josh Febey, with a win under his belt already this year, was third with Ellen Elphinstone first woman home in fourth.

Michael Bates turned in his best run for the year to finish next with great efforts from the very backmarkers, Evan Brett and Bryan Tuit, placing them sixth and seventh respectively.

Brett was the fastest man with and Rachel young the quickest of the women.

The nominated time winners were Lucy van Rooyen, Thomas Ward and Milla Price.

Race17 Line position Spinks 12km

Race17 Fastest Spinks 12km

The Paine Family Memorial ten kilometre handicap at Burnie is conducted over a tough hilly circuit and this is exactly the kind of course favoured by the winner of the race, Yolla runner Cobie Walker.

Walker’s previous win, which was last year, was over a similar course and he enjoys trail running hills, having completed the Gone Nuts event earlier this year.

However, the win came as a surprise to him, so much so that none of his family, who usually support him, were there to see him break the tape.

Walker took up running to lose weight a few years ago and he has lost a total of forty-two kilograms. He is another great example of why this sport is such a healthy one.

Chasing him home for a strong second was Simon Gates. He has not been able to attend many events this year but showed that another win is not far away if he is able to run consistently. Gerard Lowry was a fast-finishing third, just in front of the club’s oldest runner, Ken Williams.

Other strong performances were returned by Ellen Elphinstone and Ann Horton, while Kim Steven looked good in finishing seventh. Winners earlier this year, Owen Thomas and Josh Febey, both continued their great form finishing in “the ten”.

Jono Price and Lyn Saint-John were the fastest man and woman respectively, with Saint-John fifth fastest in the whole field.

The “Feature Race” nominated time winners were Ashley and Mia Fehlberg, Robyn Luttrell, Indra Taylor and Thomas Ward, with Will van Rooyen first finisher.

Race16 Line Position Paine Memorial 10km

Race16 Paine Family Memorial 10km Fastest to Slowest

Sunday’s race was a fast, flat five kilometres at West Beach. The Fish Frenzy event utilised the Burnie parkrun course and a good field gathered to hear the starter’s orders.

Natalie Luttrell was first away but was soon overtaken by Andrew Plapp running his best race for some time, with Stuart Greenhill and Neville Sweetman in hot pursuit.

Co-markers Ann Horton and Shane Cleaver were looking ominous with Matthew Rolls being the only backmarker making big inroads.

Turners Beach runner Shane Cleaver had been close to winning two weeks ago, and wasn’t going to forego his chance to take out his first victory in three years of competing with the Club.

He took the lead from Greenhill, who held on for second, with half a kilometre to run. Rolls finished strongly for third with Alan Bakes a great fourth.

Cleaver had the added incentive of winning in front of his son who was home on mid-year break from university in Queensland. He will now set his sights on running a good time in the Gold Coast half marathon.

Other good performances were returned by Nick Young and Andrew Bates, both finishing within “the ten”.

The club championships were decided during the race based on fastest time. The woman’s was won by Lyn Saint-John from Natasha Mapley and Susan Moodie while Ewen   Troughton took out the men’s from Jono Price and Will Cleaver.

Earlier the nominated time winners were Chloe Bates, Kasia and Indra Taylor and Milla Price.

Race15 Line Position Corrected Fish Frenzy 5km

Race15 Fastest Corrected Fish Frenzy 5km

Race fourteen of the PCCCT season, the Burnie Trophy House/Troy Atkins Accounting twenty five kilometre “Ironman/woman Classic” at Forth, was a triumph for one of the pre-race favourites, Devonport runner, Greg Smith.

However he needed to pull out every bit of his energy and resolve to overtake the other favourite, the gallant Rick Ferguson, which he did with a couple of hundred metres to run. Ferguson, knowing Smith was in great form and loved this course, went out very hard early in the race and the effort told at the end as he was narrowly defeated. After twenty five kilometres, the margin was only fifty four seconds.

This was Smith’s third win in the event. He prefers the longer races and he is also a multiple winner of the Club’s marathons. This victory was especially pleasing for him as he has had to overcome a persistent calf injury.

Backmarker Bryan Tuit ran a fantastic race to finish third and also took out fastest time honours.

Hayden Bishop was fourth with the first woman to finish, Amie Bramich, putting in a terrific effort to finish fifth.

Other runners to catch the eye were Justin Gossage who was having his first run with the club and finished sixth just in front of the fastest woman, Ellen Elphinstone.

Gerard Lowry. Debbie Riley and Kyle Groenewege rounded out the ten

Earlier the nominated time winners were Will van Rooyen, Lachie Riley, Emily Aichberger and Heath Bramich.

Race14 Placings Queen&King of Mountain (corrected) 25km

Race14 Fastest to Slowest Queen&King of Mountain (coorected) 25km