News

Railton is the venue this Sunday for the penultimate race of the season as members compete in the House of Anvers ten kilometre handicap.

The course is a circuit, starting at Goliath Park and is affectionately described as flat with one hill. However, that one hill, is a long and high one and presents a good challenge.

This is the final race before the major race of the season – the Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race – and, as is traditional, the victor will not receive a penalty for winning until the end of the season. Therefore, competitors can go all-out knowing a win will not affect their handicap for the “big one” the following week.

In addition. with only two races left, time is running out for those close to a victory to make use of all the training of the last months.

Steve Tammens ran second last week in his best result for the year so he is certainly one who is peaking at just the right time. He could definitely go one better on Sunday.

Aaron Robertson looks to have overcome a niggling injury and will be a strong chance while Josh Febey has been running strongly every week without breaking through and that could happen here.

Other good chances look to be Michael Taylor, Gerard Lowry, who trains on this course, Lyn Saint-John and Paul Birch.

Entries will close at 6:00pm on Friday, with the race starting at 9:30. New runners are always welcome with information available at www.pccct.org.

A nominated time event will be conducted at 9:00.

Please don’t forget to do your Tassie COVID-19 checkin.

The meeting place is at the Berry Patch at Turners Beach which will be available for coffees/ice-creams and/or brunch after the race.

The course: Starting at the Berry Patch, run towards the river, almost to the train bridge, where you cross the railway line (care needed!) and enter the bush, following the path back to the left around the marshy area.

Please note: there are some muddy puddles in this section so consider wearing old footwear if you want to plough through them rather than go around. Please take care.

When you arrive at Lukin Street, turn right and then right again, into the bush. DON’T run down the grassy lane.

Follow the arrows, witches’ hats and path out onto the end of the Esplanade. Run on the river/beach side of the Esplanade eventually turning left past where the old service station used to be. Continue to Lethborg Avenue and turn right. The turn is about 200 metres along. Return exactly the same way as you ran out, again staying on the beach/river side of the Esplanade (so we don’t have to worry about the streets).

It will be well marked with witches’ hats, arrows and fingers.

La Mar Café is closed for renos so that there will be no issue with traffic there. Just be careful with the traffic on the Esplanade.

This Sunday runners head to the Berry Patch at Turners Beach for the Rod and Judith Priestley seven-kilometre handicap. In contrast to last week’s race, which incorporated the tough slog up Brickport Road, this course is out-and-back and completely flat. It does, however, have a section of trail running which many members enjoy.

This is the last shorter race for the season with the final two races being over 10km and 17.5km so those who prefer this sort of distance have their last chance for a win.

Of course, there can only be three more winners this year, and there are many runners who have been performing consistently well and keen to win one of the three.

One of the best chances looks to be Rhian Miles, an athlete in her first year with the Club and who has only had a handful of starts. However, she has impressed with her improvement and ran a strong seventh last week. A similar effort will make her very hard to beat.

Jason Scott was another who showed up last week and is very close to a win and it could come here.

Steven Tammens has been gradually getting closer and a victory would not surprise.

Others who have been close to a win without breaking through include Josh Febey, Paul Pilkington, Gerard Lowry, Lyn Saint-John and Nigel Lacey and any of these could break through.

New runners are welcome and must register for membership and enter by 6pm Friday on the Club website www.pccct.org.

The race will start at 9:30am while nominated time events will be held at 9:00.

Entries for the Club’s premier event, the Devonport/Burnie Toyota and Wild Ride Cycles Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race to be held on September 12 close this Sunday at 11:59pm.

Don’t forget to do your Tassie COVID checkin.

The race starts at the Howe Street Netball Centre.

Exit Howe street on to West Park Grove staying on the left. Enter the top gate of West Park and stay on the path to exit the gates at the bottom.

Take care going down the path as it may be slippery.

Stay on the footpath until Brickport Road. Please ensure at you run up Button Avenue and then back down onto the footpath. DO NOT run on the road.

Continue up Brickport Road on the left footpath or extreme left of the road until just before the roundabout at Futuna Avenue/Uplands Place where you will crossed to the right. After the roundabout, you will be crossed back to the left.

Please note: you must ONLY cross at the marked points.

Continue to West Park Grove and stay on the left to re-enter Howe Street and on to the finish.

You will be crossing several streets including the main entrance into the hospital. Please take care and always check carefully before crossing. You are responsible for your own safety.

As the season heads towards its pointy end, runners are preparing for race 23 – the McLean, McKenzie and Topfer Big Six 6km handicap at Burnie.

The course is a circuit starting and finishing at the Howe Street Netball Centre and uses West Park Grove, the Bass Highway and Brickport Road. It requires runners to be proficient at steep gradients, both downhill and uphill.

With only three races left in the season, runners without a win this year will be looking to make all the training payoff by taking out a victory in one of those races.

Nigel Baptist has shown good form all year, constantly making an entry into “the ten”. Now in his third year with the club, he looks well due for a win and it could certainly come here.

Two weeks ago, in a race similar in distance and terrain, he was fifth, not far from the winner and was eighth the week before at Gunns Plains.

Other competitors whose recent form gives them top chances include Joshua Febey, Dallas van Rooyen and Nigel Lacey.

If there was a surprise it could come from Rhian Miles who is showing great promise in her first season with the Club.

Entries close at 6:00pm on Friday with the race beginning at 9:30. New runners are always welcome but must register for membership first. Both registration and entries can be done at www.pccct.org.

There will be a nominated time event at 9:00.