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Turners Beach runner, Will Cleaver, has won the Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania’s Somerset Pharmacy 10km handicap in Somerset on Sunday holding out Thomas Wilson.

In his first year with the PCCCT, the 17-years-old Cleaver is one of the club’s youngest competitors and starts each race from the challenging backmarks.

Cleaver hit the lead when he overtook Ann Horton with about one and half kilometres left to race and he stormed to the line, never glancing back to gauge the following runners.

Nearly 60 runners enjoyed Sunday’s perfect running conditions as the field started the tough out-and-back course from the beginning of the Murchison Highway and then tackling Back Cam Road.

The Somerset 10km is one of the more difficult courses in the PCCCT programme.

Last week’s winner Thomas Wilson was a surprise runner-up despite registering the fastest time of the day. It’s a great feat, achieved by very few over the club’s 50-year history to record back-to-back wins after a handicap review.

Somerset’s Dale Lancaster held the lead until after the halfway turn before the youngest competitor in the field, Vicky Knapman hit the front.

In his best result of the season, Michael Purton crossed the line in third position while co-markers Gerard Lowry and Greg Smith climbed their way to the front of the field to reach the first ten.

Backmarkers Kyle Groenewege and Hayden Bishop both enjoyed the harder course to cross the line just outside a podium finish and Cooee’s Ricky Cross also ran well to be the seventh runner home.

DOWNLOAD Somerset 10km Race Report

DOWNLOAD Somerset 10km Fastest to Slowest

Backmarker Thomas Wilson has won the Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania’s West park Grove IGA Big Six 6km handicap in Burnie on Sunday followed by last week’s Feature Race runner-up Devonport’s Bryan Tuit with Kelly Baxter gallantly holding out Kyle Groenewege for third.

Wilson crossed the line some forty metres ahead of a fast-finishing Tuit, who also collected fastest time honours.

In Sunday’s rainy conditions, 69 runners assembled at the Howe Street Netball Courts to hear the starter’s instructions for a circular course that takes in pathways of West Park, along Parklands Bass Highway then tackling the challenging Brickport Road hill before finishing with a sprint down West Park Grove.

The Big Six is arguably the toughest short distance race in the PCCCT programme and it usually favours the backmarkers and strong hill runners and Sunday proved no exception with ten backmarkers among the first dozen to cross the line.

Veteran John Purton took the lead from frontmarker John Lucas before the long climb up Brickport Road but it was Kelly Baxter who led the field into the final kilometre.

The youngest runner in the field, 16-year-old Vicky Knapman, reached as high as third-placing with little over a kilometre to race and did well to maintain her pace to finish thirteenth while young Will Cleaver also ran well.

Rochelle Hammond and Sally Atkinson put in some great efforts in tough conditions while Louise McMullen registered the fastest female run of the day.

Earlier in the morning Chloe Bates, Lochie Riley, Mia Fehlberg all ran well in the nominated time event with Bethany Boyd predicting her time perfectly.

DOWNLOAD Race 25 2017 Placings BigSix 6km

DOWNLOAD Race 25 2017 Fastest to Slowest BigSix 6km

The fiftieth running of the PCCCT Gowans Motor Group 17.6 kilometre Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race was run in good conditions on Sunday.

Penguin runner, Lyn Saint-John has triumphed winning her second Feature Race after victory in 2010. Since then she has had to overcome illness to finally regain her best form. She was able to hold off a quickly closing Bryan Tuit, who ran from the third back handicap, with pre-race favourite, Chris Purton in third.

Nearly ninety starters gathered to hear the starter’s orders before go-marker John Lucas got underway at 9:30.

With a few kilometres to run, Eric Hughes was in front but soon after he was overtaken by Rick Ferguson who had Kelly Baxter in tow.

Purton was looking ominous but Saint-John had him in her sights. Further back Evan Brett and Bryan Tuit were finishing strongly.

With a kilometre to go, Purton hit the lead but shortly after Saint-John was in front with Tuit the only danger but unable to reel her in.

A brilliant run by Brian Lyons gave him fastest time for the men while Saint-John was fastest woman.

2017 Feature Race – Placings

Feature Race – Fastest to Slowest

Penguin runner, Chris Purton, has won his second race for the season, taking out the eleven kilometre Kevin Burn Memorial at Gunns Plains on Sunday.

Run over a scenic circuit course, the race is a favourite among club members.

Despite having had three rehandicaps due to his first win and subsequent placings, the tremendous effort that Purton has put into his training, plus trimming off some kilograms, has had its reward.

Purton also credits football umpiring on Saturdays and competitive co-markers with improving his performances.

He was chased hard all the way by Owen Thomas with Kelly Baxter hanging on well to finish third.

Evan Brett and Isaac Troughton impressed with strong runs from back marks, to finish fourth and fifth respectively while Christine Wright, Ann Horton and Mary-Lou Troughton all finished in the top ten.

Other runners turning in promising efforts for the big Wynyard to Burnie Feature Race this Sunday included Michael Purton and Hayden Bishop.

Fastest time was recorded by Jason Fehlberg for the men while Kim Reader was the fastest woman.

Nominated time winners were Robyn, Trinity and Natalie Luttrell and Brian Paine.

Race 23 2017 Placings – Gunns Plains 11km

Race 23 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Gunns Plains 11km

Cradle Mountain runner, Mike Taylor, has broken through for another win in the Fish Frenzy five kilometre handicap at Burnie on Sunday.

A veteran of the club, with more than seven hundred starts, this was Taylor’s ninth win but one of his more satisfying, as has he has been struggling for form recently.

Starting from a front mark, the fast, flat course suited Taylor so that he wound up a comfortable winner from Owen Thomas and Andrew Plapp after taking the lead about 500 metres from the finish. A good field of 82 competed.

Promising runs were recorded by David Wright, Mary-Lou Troughton and Ricky Cross. Thomas Wilson was the best of the back markers with a strong-finishing sixth.

The race incorporated the club’s five kilometre championships, based on fastest times. For the men this was won by Brad Taylor from Bryan Tuit and Thomas Wilson while Daille Moyle took out the win for the women from Michelle D’Monte and Anna Murton.

Nominated time winners were Quinn Aitken, Bethany Boyd, Page Aitken, Keryn Aitken, and Maverick Baxter.

Race 22 2017 Placings – Fish Frenzy 5km

Race 22 2017 Fastest to Slowest – Fish Frenzy 5km