Rod Viney

Lovely sunny weather conditions greeted fifty starters on Sunday for Race 9 of the PCCCT – Running Club season.

The Physiotas “City of Devonport” 10km Handicap was run in conjunction with the Molly Malones 10km Women’s Championship and the UTAS Athletic Club Men’s Championship, as a sealed handicap, mass start event. The race started at Bluff Beach Devonport and took competitors on tracks in the Don Reserve.

Following the application of the handicaps to the recorded times, Burnie runner Tony Abel was revealed as the victor. This was Abel’s second victory with the Club in his second year back after a long hiatus but he had recorded six victories in the seventies and eighties including a victory in the Club marathon.

While his marathon running days may be over, he ran strongly to take out the event from Pat McMahon, Jason Scott, Steve Tammens and Rhian Miles. He had run second in this event last year so the course clearly suits him

The Men’s Championship was an exciting race with Devonport runners Hayden Bishop and Andrew Winkler having a great tussle for almost the full ten kilometres. Bishop edged ahead in the final stages to take the victory recording 34:43 with Liam Williams, having his first run with the Club, in third.

The Women’s Championship was taken out by the ever-green Lyn Saint-John, in a time of 40:29, ahead of Rhian Miles and Isabelle Sharman.

In the earlier nominated time event the winners were Brian Paine, Sienna Bramich and Malcolm Nutting.

Fine, sunny conditions but with a cooling breeze greeted the thirty-eight starters in the longest and hardest race of the season to date – the High on Penguin, Burnie to Ridgley “Mountain Classic” 16.5-kilometre handicap.

This event is one of the longest running in the Club’s annual programme and is highly sought after due to its prestige and the challenge the uphill course presents.

The race proved to be an exciting one, and also a well handicapped one, as the placings were shared by runners starting from front, middle and back marks.

Pre-race favourite, Latrobe runner, Ben Brockman, broke the finishing tape for his first Club victory after eleven years as a member. However, his number of starts has been limited for a variety of reasons so that he has only been able to average about five runs a season.

He credits the win to training regularly with a group of talented Latrobe runners. He has set his sights on doing well in the Club marathon at the end of May and saw this race as a chance for a good hard hit-out for that.

Rhian Miles continued her excellent form to take second while last year’s winner, Hayden Bishop after starting from the back mark, finished third, in front of David Murton and Jason Scott.

Josh Febey, Dan Yaxley, Ben Young and Kelly Baxter also produced great runs to finish close-up.

Bishop recorded the fastest time (63:46) while Miles was fastest female (76:17).

The Spreyton Cider Co 5km handicap at Spreyton is one of the more popular PCCCT – Running Club races and so a good field attended on Sunday in great weather conditions. Many had already run in the Race the Train event at Don earlier in the morning and the PCCCT race started at a slightly later time to allow members to compete in both events.

The course takes runners through apple and cherry orchards, around paddocks and along quiet country roads. With the recent good weather, conditions underfoot were dry and firm and these were appreciated by competitors.

Devonport runner, Cameron Bissett took the victory and in doing so won his second race for the year, a feat rarely done due to being rehandicapped after the first success. Bissett had won race two at Don but continued his rapid improvement to overcome his new mark.

His victory was very narrow, however, winning by just one second from Jason Scott with Steven Tammens just five seconds further astern.

Dominic Troughton was a great fourth just in front of pre-race favourite, Rhian Miles and Felicity Lovatt

Others to record promising performances were Andrew Lucas, Mary-Lou Troughton and Tony Abel.

Thomas Murton took fastest time honours for the men (17:17) with Miles the quickest of the women (21:16).

The nominated time winners were Malcolm Nutting and Chance Carpenter.

Well done to the 39 starters in the Spreyton Cider Co 5km Handicap at Spreyton this morning.

Congratulations to Cameron Bissett, who won from Jason Scott and Steven Tammens.

Fastest male was Tom Murton (17:17) while fastest female was Rhian Miles (21:16).

Nominated time winners were Malcolm Nutting and Chance Carpenter.

Race 6 of the 2022 PCCCT – Running Club’s season, the Wilkinson Pharmacy’s 6km handicap was run in perfect conditions on Sunday. Starting at the pony club at Fern Glade, Burnie, the course, while short in distance, provided plenty of hills for members to enjoy.

This course usually has some muddy, slippery sections but with the recent weather, the off-road sections were very dry.

The winner, Forthside runner, Andrew Winkel, was pleased to take out the win, his first since two victories in 2013. Although he first joined the Club in 2010, he has not been able to run consistently because of his work patterns and this has effected his ability to always be competitive.

Those two wins in 2013 demonstrated his versatility, as one was 5km and the other the Club’s marathon. Therefore, he handled today’s course easily. He has no particular running ambitions other than to keep training with his son, when his work allows.

In second place was Cameron Bissett, a winner earlier this year, showing his improvement has continued, just in front of Kelly Baxter and Mary-Lou Troughton.

Tony Abel continued his good form to finish fifth with Rhian Miles a promising sixth.

Fastest male was Tom Murton who burnt up the course in 20:49 while Miles (24:53) was the fastest female. Earlier, nominated time winners

Well done to the 38 starters in the Wilkinson’s Pharmacy 6km Handicap at Fern Glade this morning.

Congratulations to Andrew Winkel, who won from Cameron Bissett and Kelly Baxter.

Fastest male was Tom Murton (20:49) while fastest female was Rhian Miles (26:22).

Nominated time winners were Tracey Turner, Chad Burr and Paige Aitken.