Doncaster Newsletter
XCR Round 7 – Albert Park – Sunday 9th August
It was an early and frosty start to a Sunday, with the temptation to simply press the ‘snooze button’! However, 26 DAC athletes took on the Lakeside Road Race; 10km for most of us! For all under 16 Men and under 18 Women, their challenge was 3km and still quite a test at 8.20am!
The back grandstand at Lakeside was a buzz of activity before 9am; all anticipating the 10km mass start! We greeted running mates from DAC, Masters Venues, and other clubs alike! It was fantastic to be back in action for this annual event that needed to be cancelled in both 2020 and 2021. The large 10km field consisted of wheelchair athletes, all Open and Masters Men and Women, Under 20 Women, and Under 18 & 20 Men. The course required athletes to run from the stadium and cover 2 ‘out and back’ loops on roads surrounding Albert Park Lake. A bonus of these ‘out and back’ loops was being able to see the rest of the field as it snaked to and from the turnaround points; mates were shouting words of encouragement at each other! Both the 3km and 10km courses finished with a lap around the Lakeside track. A bonus about this was your mates cheering you around that final lap, and over the finish line adjacent to the back grandstand. Many athletes could then reward their efforts with brunch at some of the local eateries. A great start to a Sunday, and much better than hitting ‘snooze’!
The running conditions were excellent! Cool, and with almost no wind, fast times ensued. That was a bonus for the hard winter training. There were no less than 9 Open male athletes at this event and they all put in a fantastic effort, including our newly appointed President, Nathan Down. David Ridley was the quickest of the men, and placed near the front of a large and very competitive field. Alistair Christy was a matter of just seconds behind David. Anthony Paige had a first run for the winter season, and proved that he is in good form. Also having a first run for the season was David Mitchell – David normally spends his winter Saturdays umpiring football. So, a Sunday run in round 7 suited his schedule! Wonderful to have you join us David! Lydia Rinaudo was the quickest of our ladies, also near the front of a large women’s field. Josh Ascar continued his excellent winter season, and placed 2nd in the Men’s Under 18 field. Jim Finch, DAC’s most senior athlete in XCR, surprised himself with an excellent run – 52.55, and is heading towards season’s end on a high! Some of our Junior athletes were involved in the Little Athletics Cross Country Championships this weekend. We hope to see more of them at Round 8!
This round saw some excellent progress in our team scores on winter inter-club ladders. Men’s Under 18 were placed 1st, and Men’s Under 14 3rd in this round. Women’s Division 3 placed 2nd, and Men’s Division 5 placed 5th. These rankings reflect both the number of athletes competing and their placings among the field in that age group or division. In some age groups and divisions, the inter-club competition is very tough! Hope to see more of you out there in Round 8 and adding to these club scores. Round 8 is detailed below.
A big thank you to those members who assisted with officiating and volunteering at Round 7. Hamish and Lewis McLennan, and Claire Wilson at the water station, and to Nick Finch out on the course, and snapping some of the wonderful action shots shown in this newsletter.
All results:
|
Women – Open and Masters (10km) TOTAL FIELD = 198 |
||||
|
Lydia Rinaudo 37:21 |
(Open) |
24th |
|
|
|
Anita Finch 39:56 |
(Open) |
55th |
|
|
|
Kate Downward 47:18 |
(W45+) |
11th |
|
|
|
Sue Kilmartin 48:49 |
(W50+) |
17th |
|
|
|
Colleen Kelly 49:44 |
(W60+) |
6th |
|
|
|
Kath Gawthorn 55.38 |
(W45+, INV) |
|
||
|
|
|
|||
|
Women Under 18 (3km) TOTAL FIELD = 18 |
|
|||
|
Grace Wilson 11:59 |
13th |
|
||
|
|
|
|||
|
Men – Open and Masters (10km) TOTAL FIELD = 535 |
|
|||
|
David Ridley 30:47 |
(Open) |
24th |
|
|
|
Alastair Christy 31:00 |
(Open) |
30th |
|
|
|
Erick Niyiragira 32:48 |
(Open) |
73rd |
|
|
|
Matthew Christy 34:18 |
(Open) |
108th |
|
|
|
Anthony Paige 34:41 |
(Open) |
122nd |
|
|
|
David Vaughan 38:19 |
(M55+) |
6th |
|
|
|
Brendan Cullen 39:57 |
(Open) |
257th |
|
|
|
Campbell Mclennan 40:41 |
(M45+) |
24th |
|
|
|
David Mitchell 41:35 |
(Open) |
294th |
|
|
|
Nathan Down 42:20 |
(Open) |
306th |
|
|
|
Brock Goodings 45:22 |
(Open) |
343rd |
|
|
|
Jason Merrett 46:52 |
(M45+) |
34th |
|
|
|
Darryl Kilmartin 48:49 |
(M55+) |
26th |
|
|
|
James Finch 52:55 |
(M60+) |
28th |
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Men Under 18 (10km) TOTAL FIELD = 14 |
|
|||
|
Josh Ascar 35:34 |
2nd |
|
||
|
Liam Mclennan 37:48 |
7th |
|
||
|
|
|
|||
|
Men Under 14 (3km) TOTAL FIELD = 12 |
|
|||
|
Lewis Mclennan 13:31 |
11th |
|
||
|
Hamish Mclennan 15:11 |
|
|
12th |
|
Wow – DAC Athletes Shine Bright in Birmingham!
Two DAC athletes, Abbey Caldwell and Anthony Jordan, represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games!!
Anthony, just 16 years of age, competed in the para-T47 class 100 metres at his first major international competition. Though he didn’t progress through to the final, he showed poise well beyond his years. DAC are extremely proud of the young athlete he has become, and it is apparent that he has a very promising future in the sport at International level. See link to video of Anthony’s race: https://www.facebook.com/100063540911759/videos/pcb.486470600147633/574510214352931
Abbey Caldwell (21) won the Australian 1500m title in April, and was then selected to compete at the Commonwealth Games! On Friday 5th August she placed 2nd in her heat, and with 2 other Aussies, Jessica Hull and Linden Hall, progressed through to the final on Sunday 7th. The final was a tough race, featuring 5 athletes who had previously run under 4 minutes, and the current and former World Champions. Abbey ran a smart and tactical race, always within striking distance, before powering to a Bronze medal in the final straight! Wow Abbey – DAC, the local community, and the Nation are proud of your achievements!
See link to Video of Abbey’s race: https://www.facebook.com/DoncasterAthleticClub/videos/1537647893321576
See link to article on DAC website, written by Graeme Down: https://www.doncasterac.org.au/abbey-you-are-a-champion/
XCR Round 8 – Saturday 20th August
Round 8 sees us travel to Lake Wendouree (Ballarat) for another challenging road race. Open and Masters athletes are tested by 15km, whilst Juniors compete over 6km. Entries close by midday on Wednesday August 17, and can be finalised via the member’s portal. Those requiring assistance with transport are asked to contact winter Team Manager, Matt Christie (winter.coordinator@doncasterac.org.au).
Official Opening of the New Track
Still to be confirmed, there will be an official opening of the new track, likely Thursday September 29. This will involve the Doncaster Mile, and some other events. Details are still being worked out, however, all DAC members are encouraged to come along and be part of this momentous occasion.