One advantage of using the same course year in, year out, is those who are capable of setting new records, with plenty of experience of the challenges and contours of this course and in good form, can prepare and plan precisely for their record attempts – and with good conditions on race day, all might just fall in place.
On a course which has been used twice a year for 41 years, and witnessed innumerable stellar performances, you don’t expect new records very often – yet this morning, no fewer than THREE records were toppled in the 10km race.
Clare Wall (Female 70 and Over) took advantage of the cancellation of the 6ft track race, to demolish her own best time by over 2 minutes, establishing a new mark of 50:46; while Jennifer Kellett (Female 60-69) was more modest in rearranging her own course PB, lowering it by just 8 seconds to 47:27.
In the Male 60-69, Jeff Grey ran a superbly controlled race in slicing a full minute off the 20-year-old mark of Peter Kallio, to set a new benchmark of 40:26.
Chloe Hanbury was fastest among the women overall with 43:40, from Sharon O’Neill (44:57) and Felicity Hibble (47:23); while Marnie Shaw took home the main F50-59 award with her 46:41.
The men’s 10km race was won by the impressive Kodi Clarkson in 34:28, from Lewis McGuire’s 37:18 and 3rd placed Tom Olson with 38:29; while Ben Crabb was winner of the M50-59 in 38:27, from Andrew Leigh’s 40:56. David Haussmann took out the M70+ with 54:39.
Despite the 4km Fun-Run being won by Ben Steele in 16:05 (1st M17+), the remainder of the field was dominated by the girls and women, with the next 6 placings all going to females – 2nd place outright Julia Murphy in 16:09 (1st F17+) was only metres behind Ben at the finish; while the Ramboer sisters Saleena (17:08) and Samantha (19:06) were 1st and 2nd in the Girls Under 13. Jarrah McKenzie was fastest in the Boys Under 17 with 20:25; Hugo Laue took out the Boys Under 13 in 22:05: and Taylia Laws won the Girls Under 17 with 27:30. Very special mention to Lachlan Lewis, who finished the 4km in 1:03:25.
The next Sri Chinmoy 10km and 4km Fun-Runs will be held on Labour Day, 6th October.
