News

Race fifteen of the season takes members to Somerset this Sunday for the Raymond Spinks/Coastal Running Club twelve-kilometre handicap.

The event 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 and they win this race more often than not. One who is in great form and very close to a win is Cooee runner Josh Febey.

Febey’s most recent start was last week when he was third over a similar hilly course. He finished very strongly in that race and the extra two kilometres will suit him down to the ground. This followed a string of top runs going back to 2019. He will be keen to break through for a win soon.

Shaun Batten is another bursting to win a race, while Anne Thomas, Troy Reader and Kelly Baxter are all top chances.

If a frontmarker was to provide a surprise, it could be Ken Williams who was narrowly edged out last week. He is sure to lead for a long way and prove very hard to catch.

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.

Race #14 2021

Meet at McKenna Park Hockey Complex

Sponsors: The Paine Family

Race Manager:  Mark Saint-John

Course

• Race begins on North side of 3 Mile Line, opposite Burnie Council works depot
• Proceed up 3 Mile Line on RHS of road, heading West
• Cross over Mooreville Road under the direction of the marshal, at the roundabout and continue West, staying on the RHS
• At West Mooreville road, turn Right and remain on RHS
• West Mooreville will take you past E Cam road and continue up to the junction of Brickport road at Umina Park.
• Turn Right and continue up Brickport Rd on RHS
• A marshall will cross runners over to the LHS between witches hats at Freer farm. Continue to the roundabout and turn Left.
• A second marshall will cross runners over the road approx. 200m from the roundabout
• Continue up over the hill on RHS and down the the finish outside the Council depot car park.

Notes

• Marshal required at Brickport Rd roundabout on the way out
• Marshal required at Freer Farm crossing on the way back
• Marshal required at 3 Mile Line crossing on the way back

Imperative that runners remain on RHS of road and only cross at marshal points where they can be easily seen by traffic

Coming down off W Mooreville near TLC aquatics can be slippery, depending on weather: be alert.

Toilets can be accessed 200m East of our starting point at McKenna Park Hockey Complex

Please be careful crossing the road near the start and finish area and ensure children are well supervised also.

A tough task lies in wait for members his week as the PCCCT heads to Burnie for the Paine Family Memorial ten-kilometre handicap.

Members will meet at the McKenna Park Hockey Complex ready for a start on Three Mile Line and will complete a circuit taking in the many hills of Mooreville and West Mooreville Roads.

Although it is a challenging course, it is very popular with runners wishing to test themselves over the classic distance

Now the season is half completed, most runners are at peak fitness and will be looking to take out the victory.

Following a string of top runs while showing continued improvement, Adrian Mann will be a top chance on a course that will suit him. His best result this year has been a third in a tough event at Fernglade, He has consistently finished in the top ten, including last week at the Arboretum when he was eighth.

Tom Murton will start from the back mark but has the form to pass every runner and break the tape. The hills won’t worry him at all.

Others with strong chances are Josh Febey, Sam and Felicity Lovatt, while Nigel Baptist and Ellen Burgess can’t be discounted.

Entries close on Friday at 6pm with the race starting at 9:30.

This week also sees the running of the nominated time “Feature Race” to be held at 9:00 with extra prizes provided by the Paine Family.

This course consists of two laps (2.5 km each) around the main Arboretum area.  These cover varying terrain and vegetation.  This should make for very scenic run for both competitors and spectators.  Due to the nature of the course, there will be lots of viewing opportunities for spectators.

The race starts near the crossroads of the main gravel tracks of the area.  Runners will exit the gravel travel and cross an open grass area followed by a short bridge.  The course then winds over the western hill, following the marked tracks.  After approx. 600 m, runners will start descending off the hill using the track network down to the main gravel track.  The course then returns almost to the track crossroads before reaching a turnaround.  At this point the course follows the main Sylvan Circuit track (~1.5 km) in a clockwise direction.  Once the full circuit has been completed, runners will have returned to the track crossroads.  This is the end of the first lap.  The second lap follows exactly the same route from this point.  The finish chute will be next to the Rotunda in the open grassed area to the west of the crossroads.

The PCCCT has taken out membership of the Arboretum, so club members do not need to pay for entry on the day.  However, any members who wish to donate to the Arboretum are encouraged to do so.  They are supporting us by allowing access to the site, so any support we can provide back will be welcomed.

Notes:

1. There is smallish carpark at Arboretum.  However, as the site will be open to the general public, we ask members to consider carpooling to the race where possible.  Also, could all members avoid parking in areas other than the car park; this includes not parking along the entrance avenue (starting at the site gates and leading up to the car park).
2. The first 800m of each lap is predominantly single-track grass paths.  These are well marked but there will be limited opportunities for passing.  Please pick your moment and pass safely.  Once the course leaves the western hill the track opens up leaving plenty of space to passing on the back 2/3 of each lap.
3. There are sections of slightly uneven ground and exposed roots on course (first 800m of each lap).  There are also a handful of sharp switchbacks when descending off the hill.  Runners are reminded to take care and run to their limits.
4. The course is likely to be damp underfoot, but there will be no muddy sections.
5. Please respect the site and keep to marked paths and open grass areas at all times.
6. Please respect other users of the course, as it is open to the public during our race.

The PCCCT will race at a brand-new venue this weekend as The Life Vantage (Susan Moodie) five-kilometre handicap will be held at the Tasmanian Arboretum at Eugenana.

The course may be short, but promises to be challenging as runners complete two laps of 2.5km each incorporating unsealed tracks around the lake and a short, sharp hill climb.

The event will be conducted on the long-weekend Monday, rather than the usual Sunday, to avoid a clash with the Launceston Running Festival.

As usual, there are many chances but one runner who will relish this kind of course is Howard Crispin. He ran really well over a similar course last week to finish strongly into third position, just 20 seconds behind the winner. This followed a string of promising runs in previous events in which he has been displaying steady improvement.

The hardest competitor for Crispin to beat is likely to be Sam Lovatt who finished just in front of him last week. Lovatt is another who has been rarely out of “the ten” in his first season with the PCCCT. A win would be well deserved.

Other strong chances include Aaron Robertson, Felicity Lovatt, Jackie Reid and Adrian Mann.

The race starts at 9:30am with entries (on-line only) closing at the normal time of 6pm Friday. New runners are always welcome and will find all information required at www.pccct.org.

There will be a nominated time event at 9am.