A gloriously sunny day in Sydney had to surrender to the even brighter sunshine radiating through the hearts and smiles of all participants in the Sri Chinmoy Mara-Fun Relays, a festival of joyful running and running joy.

THE SOLO MARATHON

Race reports usually highlight the fastest times – yet every finisher in a marathon embodies and amazing and inspiring story. Several runners completed their first ever marathon today. Of the final 3 to cross the line, friends Jack Johnson from Chile (5:53:58) and Elijah Merjudio of The Phillipines (6:07:49) each completed their debut marathon, while sandwiched between them and supporting them the whole way was veteran Bob Fickel (5:55:45 and 1st place M70+), who crossed a marathon finish line for the 318th time. Ahead of them, Beverlyn Bernales from Thailand (5:36:27) had turned up hoping to find someone to share the distance in a relay team, but ended up running solo for her own marathon debut; while Priscila Zemuner from Brazil (4:32:53) backed up her win in this event from last year with another 1st place, and Anastasiya Potapenko (4:37:46)improved her 3rd placing from last year to a 2nd place today. Jane Trumper (5:26:51) easily won the F60-69, and was 3rd female overall.

Billy Hosni was the outright winner in the men’s marathon in 3:10:40, from Felix Lewis (3:17:35) and Matthew Arnold (3:21:25). Peter Trumper took out the M60-69 with 4:14:32 from Rick Patzold’s 4:46:57; while Carlos Garcia Velasquez won the M50-59 with 5:31:57.

THE MARA-FUN RELAY TEAMS

In amidst the solo race, the relay teams wove ribbons of enthusiastic dynamism, aiding the solo runners with their effervescent energy and infectious focus on the finish line. Competitive running is by nature usually a solo pursuit. Yet we are social beings, attracted to and thriving in each others’ companionship, inspiration, mutual encouragement and happiness. We bring out the best in each other. Teams sports know this well, and the relay format of the Sri Chinmoy Mara-Fun relays perfectly exemplifies the joy, connection, appreciation and love that blossom when we work, play and strive together.

The fastest teams usually come from the Open category, as this category features more male runners: but this time, the first 2 teams across the line came from the Mixed Teams, in which a minimum of 5 of the 11 laps of the race must be completed by female runners. Line honours went to “Run Squad Senders” (Fanny Goy, Adam Meyer, Tom Reckinger and Arlene Ancell) in the splendid time of 2:40:51; in a tight finish ahead of “Yakiniku” (Yusuke Shibuya, Sachie Wada, Tomoko Player and Naoko Tanaka) in 2:41:16. The last runner for team “Yakiniku”, Yusuke Shibuya, who had already broken the lap record for the fastest lap earlier in the day broke his own record in the final leg with a withering lap of 12:38! 3rd place overall was close behind, the 1st Open team, “Running Matters – Team Origami”, a pairing of just Peter Blyton and Matt North in 2:43:52; 2nd Open team was “Running Tough”, a trio of Sarah McCabe, Rodney Wagner, Ben Johnson with 2:50:22, in a very tight finish from ”King Dawson” (Dylan King, Matt Dawson, Lachlan Dawson and Ruadhan King) in 2:50:44, just 11 seconds ahead of “RMC Bruce and MattW” (the pairing of Matthew Wilding and Bruce Zhifeng Fan).

Fastest All-Female team was the superb combination of “Little Whippets” (Aria Calabro, Rosie Sleet and Zara and Olivia Boulton), taking 9th place overall in 2:56:52; ahead of “Union Jackaroo” (Victoria Jacob and Hannah May Clarke) in 3:10:51 and 3rd placed “Magic Speed” (Maddie Roberts, Jessica Luquin and Chrissy Kuruvilla) in 3:21:51.

The fastest Open All Over 50 team was “Team Spence RMC” (the trio of Rachel Spencer, Les Hewitt and Adrian Lehane) with 3:19:54; “Shoe Lucky” (Belinda Louey, Lilla Csorgo and Glenn Lockwood) were quickest in the Mixed All Over 50s in 3:26:01; while “The Run Squad – THE GOLDEN OLDIES” (…) took home the main prize for Mixed Team All Over 60 in 3:33:49; and “Stripies” (Catherine Rowney, Myfanwy Pennells, Susan MacCallum and Cathie Sherrington) were best of the All-Female Team All Over 50 with 4:03:46.