Rod Viney

Race five of the PCCCT – Running Club season, the Somerset Pharmacy ten-kilometre handicap, was run Sunday on a tough hilly course utilising Somerset’s Back Cam Road.

Numbers were a little down due to other events but still a good-sized field fronted for the longest and toughest event of the season to date and it was held in excellent running conditions.

The race proved a triumph for Burnie’s Ellen Burgess who won this event for an amazing third time, with the other victories coming in 2015 and 2018. Clearly, she is well-suited by longer, hilly courses as her other Club win was in the 2017 Burnie to Ridgley Mountain Classic.

Burgess credits her strength on such courses to mixing her running training with some boxing, cycling and trail-running.

She had a reasonably comfortable margin to spare over Felicity Lovatt, who continued her recent excellent form, and Gerard Lowry.

Other eye-catching performances were recorded by Simon Gates and Steve Tammens, while Chris Talbot and Troy Donald also ran promisingly.  

Fastest man was Josh Febey (40:27), while Lovatt was the fastest female (47:13) and was sixth fastest overall.

Nominated time winners were Tracey Turner, Chad Burr and Brian Paine.

Runners are advised that entries are now open for this year’s Burnie to Ridgley Mountain Classic which takes place on Sunday May 2. Entries will close Sunday 24^th April at 11:59pm

Well done to the 30 starters in the Somerset Pharmacy 10km Handicap at Somerset this morning.

Congratulations to Ellen Burgess, who won from Felicity Lovatt and Gerard Lowry.

Fastest male was Josh Febey while fastest female was Felicity Lovatt.

Nominated time winners were Tracey Turner, Chad Burr and Brian Paine.

Members headed to Wynyard for Sunday’s race, the Findex 8.5-kilometre handicap taking in tracks on both sides of the Inglis River with the start/finish in picturesque Gutteridge Gardens.

The constant undulations made the course a tough one and more likely to suit backmarkers. This proved to be the case and the race turned out to be an exciting one with co-markers, Josh Febey and Ben Young, having a great personal battle as they worked their way through the field. Young led Febey for most of the race but Febey finished more strongly to cross the line first and take out his fourth victory with the Club.

It was also his second win over this course, having won when it was used in the COVID-shortened. 2020 season.

Febey credited his victory with having competed in his first carnival series over the ‘21/’22 summer, gaining more leg speed and losing some weight. He has also changed his training to include more hill work.

The consistent Jason Scott was third, just in front of Ellen Burgess, who again showed her liking for this course, Ben Brockman and Jason Fehlberg.

Fehlberg was the fastest male (35:14), while fastest female was Isabelle Sharman (37:59) which made her the ninth fastest overall.

Other runners to record good performances were Steven Tammens, Felicity Lovatt and Kelly Baxter while young first-starter, Rhodry Robinson, ran a very promising race.

Earlier, nominated time winners were Paige Aitken, Brian Paine and Chad Burr.

NOTE: Due to a starting error, three runners were sent off one minute earlier than their posted handicap. This has been adjusted in the results to have the runners starting from their correct handicap. Therefore finishing positions listed on results may be different to where you finished at the race.

Well done to the 59 starters in the Findex 8.5km Handicap at Wynyard this morning. Congratulations to Josh Febey, who won from Ben Young and Jason Scott.

Fastest male was Jason Fehlberg (35:14) and fastest female Isabelle Sharman (37:59).

Nominated Time winners were Paige Aitken, Brian Paine, and Chad Burr.

Race three of the PCCCT – Running Club’s season was run at Port Sorell on Sunday.

The The Trend Shed seven-kilometre handicap is a loop course run mostly on scenic bush tracks although there is a road section in the middle part of the race. The event proved very popular with a good field attending, including nine first time Club runners.

In his third season with the Club, Devonport athlete Anthony McCullagh broke through for his first victory. This followed an impressive fourth on a similar course last week at Don.

McCullagh is showing great improvement in his form this year as he has begun running with the Meercroft Park training group. This has meant that instead of just doing consistent slower pace runs, he is now undertaking interval training, tempo runs and hill work. His aim now is to continue his improvement and remain competitive for the remainder of the season.

He had a comfortable margin of 29 seconds to the fast-finishing second-placed Ben Brockman, while the consistent Jason Scott ran into third ahead of Ross Smith and Josh Febey.

Felicity Lovatt made a promising return from injury with a strong run into sixth while debutant Liam Burley ran from the third back mark to finish a good seventh.

Evan Brett was the fastest male (24:15) with Isabelle Sharman recording fastest of the women (29:08) in her first run with the Club.

Earlier the nominated time winners were Lachie Riley, Brian Paine and Howard Crispin.

Runners were greeted by a beautiful Autumn evening when they arrived at the Don Cricket Ground on Friday for race two of the season – the Cradle Coast Sports and Events 7km handicap.

The event was held Friday at 6pm to avoid a clash with Run Devonport on the following Sunday and was very well attended.

The course utilised the tracks beside the Don River and in the Don Reserve which made for some very enjoyable running.

Devonport runner, Cameron Bissett in his second season with the Club, broke through for his first victory.

Bissett has improved his times greatly from last year, training strongly over the summer, having been bitten by the running bug. He has been running consistently with PCCCT legend, Greg Smith, who no doubt has passed on many tips to aid Bissett’s improvement

He had to dig deep to hold off two strong backmarkers in Ben Young and Andrew Winkel with Anthony McCullagh a very good fourth just in front of Steven Tammens and race favourite Jason Scott.

Winkel recorded the fastest time for the men of (25:42) while Lyn Saint-John was fastest woman (29:14).

Other good performances were recorded by Tony Abel and David Murton while Ben Brockman and Josh Febey look like coming winners.

The nominated time winners were Florence Dutton, Malcolm Nutting and Lachie Riley.