ATHLETICS
TRARALGON MARATHON
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
THERE would have been a lot of sore and aching bodies earlier this week.
The 58th Traralgon Marathon and Running Festival came and went last Sunday (June 1) with another raging success for the Traralgon Harriers Athletics Club.
With a change of location this year, the Harriers partnered with Glengarry Football-Netball Club to deliver yet another top notch event for the public and all entrants across its three key events during the day.
Shooting off against the cold and fog at 8am Sunday morning, the main marathon took participants on two treks from Glengarry to Toongabbie to complete 42.2 kilometres, again up the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail.
The half-marathon and 10km run followed at 9am and 10am respectively.
Returning after a 10-year hiatus, Don Finocchiaro became a three-time Traralgon Marathon winner in an absurd time of two hours, 29 minutes and 45 seconds – a 36-minute difference between the next best of Sale’s Mitch Dowse (3:06:04).
Traralgon Harriers’ Stephen Renehan came under three minutes shy of a podium finish (third-place was Nick Pratt at 3:08:10), an incredible effort considering he took on the Great Ocean Road Ultramarathon just two weeks prior.
Traralgon’s Courtney Ellis took out the female field and a third-best overall time of 3:07:30, almost 32 minutes better than runner-up Juanita McIntyre (3:39:21), while Zoe Dunkley (3:48:06) finished third.
Keith Colomb won the half-marathon in a time of 1:17:15, followed by Daniel Furmston (1:19:27) and Elliot Shaw (1:20:48).
The female half-marathon winner was Kylie Murray finishing in a time of 1:31:37, followed by Kate Peel (1:35:44) and Sarah Franks (1:37:46).
Traralgon Harriers own and young gun Dempsey Podmore took out the 10km in a time of 34:34, followed by Leongatha footballer Cooper Alger (36:32) and Sam Treasure (38:22).
Sarah Lewis was the female 10km winner at 42:36, followed by 60+ year-old entrant Sarah Nield (48:02) and Jacinta Hearn (50:30).
Across the day’s proceedings, 369 people crossed the finish line, with the half marathon and 10km at capacity weeks out advance.
Traralgon Harriers President, Phill Mayer took part in the 10km, and said the festival was another exceptional showcase.
“This year again, we capped entries across the distances and we hit those capacities early with a huge waiting list, which meant quite a few missed out on running,” he said.
“Creating an event where demand exceeds the cap means we have some prestige and people hopefully enter early rather than leaving it to the last minute, which makes organisation and planning easier for our club volunteers.”
The change of venue, which squeezed the area of the circuit, was praised by runners, creating even more of a communal feel with participants constantly able to see entrants across all events running past or side-by-side, encouraging and inspiring each other all the way through.
Volunteers were integral in making the event possible and run seamlessly, starting at the top with Mayer and race director Desley Gray, to traffic control to pacers (and sweepers) to the bib team to hydration and many, many more.
Pacers were in great numbers, with many arriving from metro clubs, including 12 from the Mad Rabbit Crew in Melbourne.
Practically a joint partnership, Traralgon Harriers and Glengarry FNC made up a bulk of the volunteers throughout and in the lead-up to the day, with Gray noting Glengarry officials were already up bright and early before they even made the trek down to the reserve.
“It’s been huge for us, we didn’t know what to expect when we got the first phone call, whether we would like to be involved or not,” Glengarry FNC president, Alan Whitty said.
“But from the first time we met with Phill and the Harriers, they are just the most incredible people and I think everyone was on the same page to make it a really successful day.
“We need (volunteer support) a lot during the footy (and) netball season, but then to see it again today, the community just understands how important our volunteers are and I just think they are wonderful people.”
A carb loading dinner pre-empted the Traralgon Marathon on Saturday (May 31) at Dal Mondo Restaurant, Traralgon open to the public and featured three fabulous guest speakers.
Nikki Wynd (who participated in the marathon, finishing ninth overall) was the first Australia to win the prestigious Badwater 135 Ultra Marathon (217km race across Death Valley) and has more than a decade’s worth of experience in world-class ultra-running.
Australian marathon legend Rick Patzold (finished top 50 in the marathon at age 60) has completed a ludicrous 422 marathons since he began in 2001, and holds the distinction as the only Australian to go sub-4 more than 200 times.
Motivational speaker Kylie Mayne has completed six World Major Marathons, and was the 2:10 half-marathon pacer.
Gray hinted at what’s to come for the Traralgon Marathon with three simple words – ‘ultra’ and ’60th year’.
You work out what that means and get ready.
