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Rod Viney

Race 1 – The SportsPower 5km Handicap – Wivenhoe

The 2017 season of the Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania gets underway this Sunday with the Burnie SportsPower 5km handicap commencing at Wivenhoe Showgrounds. The course takes competitors to Fernglade Reserve and return.

Each new season is eagerly anticipated by members and this one will be no different. It is always interesting to see who has been training hard over summer and who has naturally improved. These factors make it hard to predict those likely to be break the tape.

Husband and wife team, Brett and Debbie Riley, have both been putting in many kilometres as well as competing in other events and either could take out the main prize.

This race tends to favour front and middle markers so others in strong contention include Louise Morse and Lorraine Shepheard among the women while Richard Lawson and Chris Purton are men with strong chances.

The race will begin at 10:00 with entries closing at 9:30. As registrations for the new season will need to be done also before this time, runners are urged to arrive early.

New members will be very welcome. The minimum age to run in the handicapped races is fifteen, but as in past years, nominated time events, which are open to all ages, will also be held. Those intending to compete in theses need to register by 9:05.

By Rod Viney, ago

Marathon Training Schedule

To help you prepare for the club marathon on April 30, you might like to follow this guide.

This is an “intermediate” one. It should be fine for all regular runners (not beginners) so will be okay for club members. The better runners might like to do a more advanced schedule.

This schedule has the long run on Sundays, so if you are doing the club races (and we hope that you are) you will need to do your long run on another day – Saturday perhaps..

trainingguide-marathon-intermediate12 week

By Rod Viney, ago

Consistency Award and Championships 2016

Here are the placings in the Jack Propsting Consistency Award and the Club Championships.

The Consistency Award is calculated by using a points system based on finishing positions in races and the Championships on fastest times. See page 28 of the Handbook for full details.
Consistency

1st Mark Saint-John 147 points
2nd Thomas Murton 135 points
3rd Equal Judy Ray and Russell Horton 134 points

Male Championship

1st Thomas Murton 105 points
2nd Bryan Tuit 68 points
3rd Ben Hoare 51 points

Female Championship

Rebecca O’Grady 88 points
2nd Sally Haines 85 points
3rd Judy Ray 82 points

By Rod Viney, ago

Matthew breaks through at Burnie

Matthew small

Devonport runner, Matthew Greenhill, has broken through for a win in the Sea Lyons Swim School 6 kilometre handicap at West Beach on Sunday. Starting one of the favourites after many good performances during the latter half of the year, Greenhill savoured his second victory with the Club, his first being a 5 kilometre event at Ulverstone in 2012.

Greenhill was a former top local tennis player until a back injury prevented him from continuing. He now stays fit training with the Meercroft Park group as well as participating in other physical activities, such as ocean swimming, with his family.

Greenhill overtook gallant front marker, Louise Morse, with just 100 metres to run who just hang on to beat Richard Lawson who showed some late season form to finish third.

Other top performances were recorded by Lorraine Shepheard and Rebecca O’Garey. O’Garey finished fourth and was fastest female (24:23).

Fastest male was Thomas Wilson who charged home recording a slick 21:04.

Raymond Spinks on Sunday achieved a unique milestone. He has run 270 successive races (10 years) without missing a race. At 75 years of age, Ray has run a total of 1030 races and should add considerably to this total before he hangs up the running shoes.

Nominated time winners were Jemima McLaren, Chloe Bates, Amber Taylor and Piper Taylor.

Race 27 2016 Actual

Race 27 2016 Fastest to Slowest

By Rod Viney, ago

Trail Run Series

The PCCCT Trail Series final race was completed back at Penguin on a revised course of less bush and more gravel which was more accommodating of runners after a long season.  The series attracted  several new runners to the club.  While the competition was fierce many ran to enjoy the change of scenery and to challenge themselves.  The mud pools snatched a few loose fitting shoes, full speed wasn’t always possible and watching your feet led some to take the wrong turns.  At times sure footing wasn’t guaranteed and unfortunately a few runners tumbled. An amusing sidelight was Michael Bates and Dallas van Rooyen’s cool-down,  featuring a fall into a muddy pool, a push and  emerging plastered in mud.

Two of the courses were tough with severe short hills, mud and rough surfaces.  The other courses followed will defined gravel tracks with some short “watch-your-feet” sections.

Competition for fastest female was closely fought with the top three runners separated by 4 points (Rebecca O’Garey first).  In the U23 section Kate Hawley and Maddie Baxter were separated by 3 points, while Keegan Powell was a clear first in the U23 Males.  Keegan has shown much improvement over the season and found the trails to his liking – he finished a respectable third overall in the Open Male section.

The series winner was Mark Saint John who was overall fastest.  Mark also set up three of the courses and the extra warm-up didn’t hinder him as he ran strongly on the tricky surfaces.

The overall consistency leader was Russell Horton.  He was closely challenged by Tim Dowling who broke through with his maiden win in the fourth race of the series  to capture a bundle of points.

Pts after race 4 (100 for first, 99 for second etc):

Fastest Male: Mark Saint-John 383, Greg Smith 377, Keegan Powell 350

Fastest Female: Rebecca O’Garey 397, Judy Ray 395, Michelle D’Monte 393

Fastest MU23: Keegan Powell 391, Andrew Aichberger 290, Thomas Wilson 199.

Fastest FU23: Kate Hawley 300, Maddi Baxter 297, Mollie Powell 100

Consistency (pts same as club consistency): Male – Russell Horton 29, Tim Dowling 26, Mark St John 24; Female – Kate Hawley 24, Judy Ray 22, Rebecca O’Garey 19.

By Rod Viney, ago

Sea Lyons Swim School 6km at West Beach

The final race of the season is this Sunday, the Sea Lyons Swim School 6km handicap. The course is out-and-back from West Beach. The flat course will see some fast times, particularly as runners who have not been successful in 2016 will realise this is the last chance for a win this year.

Following his excellent second last week, Ricky Brown should start favourite. Brown has been in excellent form and was one of the strong fancies for the Feature race until he injured himself in training the week prior.

A steadily improving Chris Purton will be another strong chance. He surprised with an excellent run last week.

Club president, Barry Ling, holds the record for the most runs with the club (1100+) but it is a long time since his last win. Recent efforts, though, indicate that he might take this one out and would be a very popular winner.

Bec O’Garey, who is often the fastest female, is another who will be looking to finish the season on a high.

The club will provide a barbecue following the event, for members and their families.

By Rod Viney, ago

Tim wins Motors 6km at Penguin

Tim Dowling small

After showing good improvement lately, Somerset runner, Tim Dowling, on Sunday won the Motors 6 kilometre handicap which started at the Penguin motocross track. Dowling had put the writing on the wall with a good fifth two weeks ago in a similar race at Burnie.

He said the improvement was due to a special eight week training programme he and his training partner, Louise Morse, had undertaken. It has certainly paid dividends, with Morse finishing a close tenth after being in front with just two kilometres to run.

This was Dowling’s first victory with the club, since he joined four years ago. He originally ran in the shorter nominated time events, as, in his words, “I was unable to run even five kilometres”. Now he takes part comfortably in races up to ten kilometres.

Continuing his recent run of great form, Ricky Brown was a close second with Chris Purton. having his best finish for the year, next across the line.

Other top runs were turned in by Liz Murton and Barry Ling with Thomas Wilson an excellent 11th from a back mark.

Wilson was also fastest male (20:51) with Bec O’Garey (24:35) fastest female.

Nominated time winners were Laura and Annette Wilson, Jennifer Fuller and Brian Payne.

Race 26 2016 Actual

Race 26 2016 Fastest to Slowest

By Rod Viney, ago

Motors 6km Handicap, Penguin

The penultimate race of the PCCCT season to be run Sunday has had to be switched from Fernglade to the Penguin motocross track in Dial Road. The Motors 6 kilometre handicap will remain a trail run and the course will be different from that used at this venue earlier in the year.

This is the fourth and final run in the inaugural trail run series. Members have appreciated the chance to run on courses which are unsealed, and which have, on occasions, been very wet and muddy.

With only two races remaining this season, runners who have not won yet will be desperate to not let all the raining put in this year be in vain.

This should mean a close and exciting race, with perhaps a surprise winner.

Dwayne Barry, in his first year with the Club, has been showing a lot of promise finishing close to the winner in several races over all distances. He was fifth in last week’s half marathon, beaten just over a minute.

Tim Dowling was fifth in a similar race two weeks ago and should show up with a similar effort. Likewise, Rebecca O’Garey, who was just behind Dowling in eighth has been consistent and a win would be well deserved.

Other strong chances include Kim Steven, Rebecca Marien and Patrick McMullen.

By Rod Viney, ago