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This week presents a challenging 12 km course using predominantly back roads behind Somerset, with plenty of hills to test the legs.  The meeting point for this race is the Somerset Soccer Club off Cardigan St, Somerset.

The course starts in Cardigan Street at the western end of the Soccer Club.  Runners proceed west on left hand side of road to Old Cam Road. The course then turns left down Bread and Butter hill.  Past the bridge a marshal will cross runners onto the right-hand side of the road before turning right onto the Murchison Highway.  The course continues south along the highway (runners keeping on right hand side of the road) before turning right onto Village Lane (approx. 4.1 km into the course).  Runners continue on Village Lane until it meets Seabrook Rd.  The course turns right at this point, with runners staying on the right-hand side of the road.  The course continues straight onto Malakoff Street, before crossing a small park.  At this point runners join Cardigan Street on the left-hand side of the road and finally finishing outside Yarrandoo.

Safety notes:

• Apart from small sections at the start and end of the course, all runners are required to keep on the right-hand side of the road
• Runners must not cross from one side of the road to the other outside of the designated crossing points
• Runners are expected to take extra care while running along Murchison Hwy; keep on right hand side road at all times using the verge where possible
• For front markers, a car will lead the way along the Murchison Highway
• Toilets will be available at the Somerset Soccer Club

Following a week break for the Launceston Running Festival, race fourteen of the season takes members to Somerset this Sunday for the Raymond Spinks/Coastal Running Club twelve-kilometre handicap.

The circuit course starts and finishes at the Somerset soccer ground and commences with a four kilometre climb up the Murchison Highway to Village Lane, then continues on country roads until the final stretch along Cardigan Street. The toughness and distance suits strong middle and backmarkers.

Dominic Troughton is one of the great young runners in The Club. The sixteen-year-old won a tough race last year and along with natural improvement has been working his way towards another win. It could very easily come in this event.

His greatest threat will be Jordan Matthews. After completing his first marathon three weeks ago, Matthews followed up the next week with a great third showing he had recovered well. Now with a week’s rest he should be at his peak.

Kim Steven is another who will bear watching. He thrives on the long and hilly courses so he will be very well suited.

Darlene Jacques showed a return to form in the last race at Stanley and would not surprise with a victory.

Others to watch include Steve Tammens, Jason Scott and Sabrina Shields.

Entries close Friday evening at 6pm (online) with the race starting at 9:30am.

New runners are always welcome and they can register at www.pccct.org.

A nominated time event will be held at 9:00am.

The race starts at 10.30am from the Stanley Recreation Ground, Marine Esplanade. There are changerooms and toilet facilities at the ground. The race is over 8km and contains one hilly section. As the race is on public roads runners are asked run with caution and obey any directions from race officials. The race heads out of the ground away from the Stanley township on Main Road. After a kilometre or so runners continue onto Dovecote Road which has an uphill section. Runners turn right at Green Hills Road which takes them past Highfield House and a sweeping downhill section with great views of the Nut. This leads onto Church Street through the main centre of Stanley. Runners turn right onto Main Street then left onto Marine Esplanade. From there they re-enter the Recreation Ground and finish with half a lap of the oval. Post-race presentations will take place in the Stanley Football Clubrooms.

The PCCCT heads to Stanley this week for the Dowling McCarthy Tyres/Hanson Family “Steve Hanson Memorial” Ace of the Green Hills.

This is run over an eight-kilometre course which has a short, testing hill early on but then competitors are rewarded with a great traverse of the Green Hills before descending with views of The Nut. After travelling along the main street, runners return to the start at the Stanley Oval.

As for every race recently, there are many runners who could easily break the tape, but one of the stronger chances looks to be Gerard Lowry – “the Railton Rocket”. One of the “Meercroft Crew”, who train regularly together at Devonport’s Meercroft Park, Lowry will be very much suited and could take out a well-deserved win.

After several finishes just outside “the ten”, his last two starts have brought him a fifth and a sixth and he won’t need to improve much more to be very hard to beat.

Young gun Dominic Troughton won this event last year and is running well enough that he can go “back-to-back”. Clearly, he loves the course.

Others with a strong chance are Felicity Lovatt, Isabelle Sharman, Steve Tammens and Jason Fehlberg.

The event starts at the later time of 10:30 with entries closing at 6pm on Friday. New runners are always welcome but need to take out membership first. For entries and membership see www.pccct.org .

A nominated time event will be held at 10:00.

NOTE: The Teams Marathon will start at 7am, not 8am as indicated in the preview and on the entries page. Please ensure you are at the start line for your handicapped start line, allowing yourself time to collect team bibs.

This week there are two events being conducted concurrently over the same course – the “Greg & Di Woodhouse” Marathon and the “Terry Watson Memorial” Marathon Teams’ Race.

Both events will start at 7am. Competitors need to wear a race bib, which will be provided, to identify which race they are in and what team.

It is a two lap out and back course. The races start at the Ulverstone Cricket Club in River Road, West Ulverstone. The course heads east along River Road to the Ulverstone Bridge, under and across the bridge, down past the wharf precinct to Otto’s Grotto and onto Fairway Park walking track to Buttons Creek and along Beach Road to the start of the Ulverstone/Turners Beach coastal pathway where there will be a drink station. Runners follow the pathway to Turners Beach and then along The Esplanade to the turn which is beside the Forth River where there will be another drink station. This is where the second and fourth teams’ runners will commence their runs. Runners follow the exact same course back to the Ulverstone Cricket Club. This will be the halfway point for the marathon competitors and where the third leg teams’ runners will commence.

Runners, both individual and teams’ runners, are asked to provide their own drinks in clearly marked containers – either their name or race number. These can be left at the start/finish and will be transported to the drink stations.

Runners are also reminded that they should not be paced either by another runner not in the race or someone on a bike or other device. In the event of any pacing the runner or teams risk disqualification.

Post-race presentations will take place in the Ulverstone Cricket Club clubrooms. There will be soup served post-race. There are toilet and shower facilities available.

The PCCCT – Running Club Greg and Dianne Woodhouse Marathon is the longest-running handicap marathon in Australia, and the 2022 edition of the race will be held this Sunday.

Alongside, it will see the second running of a relay marathon with teams of four runners sharing the hard work. This year the event has been named the Terry Watson Memorial Teams Handicap in honour of the late Terry Watson who was a Club member and promoted and sponsored the first teams marathon held last year.

Both races utilise the pathway between Ulverstone and Turners Beach, starting at River Park in Ulverstone, and heading out to the end of the esplanade at Turners Beach, before returning. The Marathon competitors will complete two laps of this course, with Teams Marathon competitors each completing a 10.55km point to point leg.

A small but quality field will assemble for the main event, the Marathon, with the first runner away at 7am.

It is always difficult to predict the winner of this event because of the distance and it is even harder this year as there are three runners having their first races with the Club.

On exposed form, Amy Courto should start favourite. She is proven over distances even longer than a marathon and is in good form. Troy Reader may be her main danger while Lib Smith always enjoys this event and will be very competitive.

There are eighteen entered in the relay and a close exciting race is anticipated. The first team will get underway at 7am.

Entries for both events have now closed. There will be no nominated time event this week.

Handicaps will be posted Friday at 6pm, along with the race brief.