Canberra's annual Sri Chinmoy Half-Marathon in Telopea Park was this year supplemented with two new races - a 5-Mile and a 2-Mile race over the same course...

The annual Sri Chinmoy Half-Marathon is generally at the coldest time of year and has occasionally been held with ice on the track.   2006 was different however, as bright sunshine greeted an eager field for a 9 am start, with temperatures quickly becoming tolerable and (almost) even comfortable!

For the first time, two additional races were staged over the same course, to provide the Half-Marathoners with extra company and an injection of fresh energy after one hour of exertion.

The Sri Chinmoy 5-Mile and 2-Mile races started at 10 am with a modest but promising field, one hour after the commencement of the Half-Marathon, providing new colour, excitement and atmosphere to the scene.   These once-common "Imperial" race distances have become a rarity in Australia since the introduction of the metric system.

The course for all 3 races was a 1-mile (1.623 kms) loop on cycle path and road-verge in and around picturesque Telopea Park.   The loop course provided runners with regular access to drinks and the encouragement of   friends and support crew, as well as a convivial atmosphere amongst the field, who were able to mingle with each other throughout.

Dean Chiron lead Andrew Howes from the outset of the Half-Marathon, and the placings remained that way to the finish line, with Dean clocking around 6 minute laps consistently to win the race in 1:19:52.

Third outright was 59-years-young Des Brown, who led an outstanding contingent of over 50's athletes, all of whom featured in the first half of the field.   Meanwhile Geoff Barker defended his Men 60 - 69 title from 2005, and the astonishing Rad Leovic (pictured at right) returned from winning a Silver Medal in the 75 - 79 years age group at the World Duathlon Championships just last week in Newfoundland, Canada.

The women's Half-Marathon field saw the first 5 women finish within 4 minutes of each other.   Thea Zimpel took line honours in the excellent time of 1:38:02, though the race of the day belonged to Sue Archer racing in the women's 50-59 category, who crossed the line a mere 3 seconds behind Thea.   Alexa McKay, Reegan O'Keefe and Deahne Turnbull followed soon after.   Val Chesterton took out the over 60's main award.

Meanwhile Barton McPherson (pictured at left) showed a clean pair of heels to Andrew Law and his other pursuers in the men's 5-Mile race, flying around the course in 27:08.   Elizabeth Bennett likewise overcame the strong running of Kym Chisholm to finish in the fine time of 32:36.

Shane Farrant, running in the under 17 boys' category was the fastest finisher in the 2-Mile race in 12:43, with under 13 girl speedster Nicola Torley showing the rest of the fields how it's done with a 12:53 finish!

A pancake breakfast was enjoyed by all while awards were distributed under cloudless blue skies.

For the first time, complete lap (1 mile) time splits have been published for all races including the Half-Marathon, so athletes can accurately gauge their relative pace throughout the race.

Complete results by age category are now published for the Half-Marathon and the 5-Mile and 2-Mile races.   Visit the photo gallery covering the 3 races.

We look forward to the company of runners for the next Sri Chinmoy Races in Canberra, the traditional Labour Day 10 km & 4 km to be held on Monday 2 October from Acton Ferry Terminal.   Online entry is now available for both races.

Held in the middle of Canberra's Winter, the annual Sri Chinmoy Half Marathon staged on a one-mile loop in and around Telopea Park is traditionally a glove-wearing occasion.

This year was no different, with runners only discarding their hand-wear after several laps, while most lap-scorers remained well-rugged up throughout.   The race is 13 laps of a certified one-mile loop on cycle path and road, with a little bit extra at the end to make up the full half-marathon distance.   Runners' laps are recorded by a dedicated crew of lap-scorers, who were comforted by a regular hot-drinks service.

The race has been held very year since the late 1980s, and has often been used as a 'hit-out' by those in training for either the Australian Marathon Championships at the Gold Coast, or the Sydney City to Surf in August.   It is the Canberra Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team's main running event for the Winter season.



The loop course is mostly flat, though a few undulations offer variety for the running muscles.   A short hill near the top of the cycle path section is more than offset by a long, slightly downhill run along the road next to the park.   The course through the park is certainly a pleasant run on a good running surface, while the one-mile loop format offers the opportunity for regular contact with other runners and supporters, as well as a reliable drinks service.

Those who reckon on taking over 2 hours for the run can avail themselves of the opportunity to start half an hour earlier than the rest of the field.   Some of these surprised themselves by finishing well inside 2 hours, with several of the women early-starters figuring in the awards.

The later (9 am) starters had the advantage of an extra 30 minutes of sunshine, which was valiantly striving to banish the pervasive grip of what had been a cold, wet night.   In all, 56 runners started the race, with 54 ultimately finishing. The outstanding performance on the day was by Over 50s runner Steve Bradford who won the race outright, offering his younger competitors a master-class in controlled, focussed racing.

Among the women's field, Michelle Wu stamped her class on the race from the outset, showing smooth and dynamic form throughout to finish a clear winner.

By the time the race was over, the sun had transformed the chilly dawn into a glorious Winter's day, with runners thoroughly enjoying an impromptu picnic breakfast of pancakes and fruit.

Full results by category are now posted, listing all finishing times.
Images from the event can be viewed at the race gallery.