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Members headed to Wynyard for Sunday’s race – the Crowe Horwath 8 kilometre handicap. The scenic course takes in tracks beside the Inglis River with a short, sharp climb to the lookout at Fossils Bluff.

An excellent field of eighty two gathered in cool, windy conditions to listen to the starters’ orders.

Dale Lancaster led the field away off the front mark of 6:40 but shortly into the race was overtaken by Karina Mason. Ron Chequer then led for a time bit it was soon clear that the race belonged to one of a group of in-form middlemarkers.

Grant McCormack, Owen Thomas and Kyle Groenewege were the pre-race favourites and this confidence proved to be justified.

Thomas looked likely to break his run of close misses until McCormack sailed by and proved uncatchable, to take out his first win with the club. Thomas hung on for second with Matthew Rolls and Andrew Bates running strongly in to the next two places with Groenewege fifth.

Simon Gates, having his first run for the year ran a promising race to just sneak into the ten.

McCormack put his great form down to the training he’s doing to participate in the Club’s marathon in a few weeks prior to running in the Melbourne Marathon in October. He had also trained to complete 50 kilometres of the Gone Nuts in March.

Fastest male and female were Matthew Cunningham and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Earlier, nominated time winners were Louise Morse, Mackenzie Troughton, Kasey Taylor and Heath Bramich.

Race06 Placings Wynyard Crowe Horwath 8km

Race06 Fastest Wynyard Crowe Horwath 8km

The split division races at Devonport Bluff on Sunday were run in warm, still conditions and produced exciting events.

The Devonport Mazda Frontmarkers 5 kilometre handicap was a triumph for Susan Moodie who was one of the favourites. Although she had won a race early last year, training for the Cadbury Marathon, run in January, had her the fittest she has ever been. Moodie had even run a 14 kilometre trail run at Cradle Mountain the day before.

She won comfortably from Karina Mason and Ron Chequer, and was the fastest woman with Nick Young the fastest male.

The backmarkers saw a battle royal between co-markers Wayne Wiseman and Owen Thomas. Thomas led for most of the race as Wiseman sat about ten metres behind. He challenged for the lead with about four hundred metres to run and Thomas was unable to respond, Wiseman going on to win his second club race, from Thomas with Grant McCormack a close third.

Wiseman has set himself to run fifty kilometres a week after an injury plagued 2017 and the increased training regime is certainly paying off.

Kyle Groenewege ran his best race for the year while Bryan Tuit and Troy Atkins passed almost the entire field to finish in fifth and sixth.

Fastest male and female were Brad Taylor and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Earlier, nominated time winners were Indra Taylor, having her first run with the club, Thomas Ward and Grace Greenhill.

Race05 FrontMarkers Devonport Mazda Handicap 5km

Race05 Fastest FrontMarkers Devonport Mazda Handicap 5km

Race05 Placings BackMarkers Devonport Simons Design Centre Handicap 5km

Race05 Fastest BackMarkers Devonport Simons Design Centre Handicap 5km

Race 4 of the season was the Glow Cosmetics seven kilometre handicap at Heybridge. The course took runners to the Howth weighbridge and return.

This looked suitable for the Frontmarkers who have dominated the season so far, and so it proved to be with Somerset runner, Sally Atkinson, taking out a well-deserved victory.

Atkinson, a veteran of almost four hundred PCCCT runs, was most unlucky in the first race of the year when she as grabbed close to the line after an error led to a slightly longer distance being run than what was scheduled. This was her fourth win with the club, her last being seven years ago.

She also had a close call on Sunday just holding off first starter Terry Watson, with fellow frontmarker and race favourite, Karina Mason, in third.

Having trained for the Gone Nuts race, where she completed the full 101 kilometres, Atkinson was very fit.

Stuart Greenhill led the field early on until Mason took over. Back markers Ben Brockman and Wayne Wiseman were looking good and further up the field Susan Moodie and Anna Murton looked chances.

Anna Murton and Debbie Riley both performed well, while Ron Chequer turned in another promising run.

However, Atkinson was not going to be caught this time and was delighted to break the tape.

Fastest male and female were Brad Taylor and Lyn Saint-John respectively.

Nominated time winners were Robyn Luttrell, Kasey Aichberger, Heath Bramich and Lachie Riley.

Race04 Heybridge Glow Cosmetics 7km Handicap

Race04 Fastest Heybridge Glow Cosmetics 7km

The thunderstorms cleared just in time for race 3 of the season on Sunday – the Cradle Coast Sports and Events 7km handicap at Don. The race was run in perfect running conditions – light drizzle with no wind – although the track was very wet underfoot.

This all suited Burnie runner Mary-Lou Troughton, who was delighted to break through for her first win in her three seasons with the club. It was just a matter of time for Troughton as she was carrying on a family tradition with her husband Ken and two nephews, Ewan and Isaac, already winners with the Club.

Her two children also compete in the nominated time events making cross-country running very much a family affair.

Front markers dominated the race with the winner looking likely to be either Karina Mason or Sally Atkinson until both were passed by Troughton with about 200 m to run.

In a great result for the women, fourth was Susan Moodie, while Ron Chequer was first man to finish with his fifth placing.

Other promising results were turned in by Ann Horton and Owen Thomas while co-markers, Scott Murphy and Aaron Robertson ran together the whole way to finish just inside the ten.

Fastest male and female were Brad Taylor and Natasha Mapley respectively.

Lucy van Rooyen was the nominated time winner with Chloe Bates, Will van Rooyen and Dominic Troughton first three over the line.

Race03 Don Cradle Coast Sports and Events 7km Handicap

Race03 Fastest Don Cradle Coast Sports and Events 7km

Race 2 of the Professional Cross Country Club of Tasmania’s season was held on Saturday – the only Saturday race for the season.

Starting and finishing at the Cooee Hall, the course circumnavigated Burnie High School before heading towards the Durham Road hill, climbing five hundred metres to the turn.

Hot, steamy conditions made for a tough run for the sixty-two starters. Cooee runner, Josh Febey, was not deterred however, digging deep to take the win by just five seconds from Wayne Wiseman. Aaron Robertson again showed good early season form finishing third.

Dale Lancaster lead the field away but Ron Chequer and Mary-Lou Troughton soon had her in their sights and took up the running. Sven Mason and Kelly Baxter looked chances for a time as did backmarkers Jason Fehlberg and Ben Saint-John who started to pick their way through the field.

With less than a kilometre to run Febey had hit the lead and was able to hang on for a well-deserved win. It was his second with the club, the first being in 2015. He credited the win to training with the Salty’s Striders running group, in Burnie. This had not only improved his fitness but given him increased motivation.

Saint-John took out fastest time for the men with Rebecca O’Garey fastest female.

Earlier the nominated time winners were Mia Fehlberg, Mackenzie Troughton and Brian Paine.

Race02 Placings Cooee Dowling and McCarthy Tyres 5km Handicap

Race02 Fastest Cooee Dowling and McCarthy Tyres 5km Handicap