Charlie
Shows How it is Done!
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| Charlie
Jones |
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Race sponsor Charlie Jones
credited course experience and know how as critical
factors in winning his own
sixteen kilometre handicap. The race stretched
all runners as they made their way through the Ironbarks
Forest last Saturday.
On the day he virtually wore
four hats – sponsor, handicapper, runner, and
course marker.
“I
knew every bump and bend; every rise and fall on
that course,” said Charlie afterwards. “The
course is harder in the second half (a slow, gradual
climb up what seems like a never-ending rise) and
it’s
easy for inexperienced runners to go out too hard
at the start, leaving nothing left at the finish.”
Showing
no signs of wilting, the wiry veteran carved out
the longest race on the SACC calendar in a pugnacious
70 minutes and 30 seconds, to sustain a 90 second
winning margin over the ever-consistent Gaynor Radovic.
Radovic has had a long string of placings, with this
being the fourth time this season. Gaynor is showing
the benefit of improved fitness by doubling her race
commitments at the weekend to run with the Stawell
and Ararat Cross Country Club.
The club’s
elite performers, Nathaniel Warren and David McAllister
were third and fourth on handicap, but ironman Dave’s
time was fastest, a sensational personal-best of
62 minutes and 10 seconds.
Despite suffering from
a cold, Peter Cutler once again ventured down from
Nhill with wife Sheryn and babe-in-arms James to
record the third fastest time. Club president, Gary
Howden, who will contest the Gold Coast Marathon
this weekend, came in sixth and Charlie thanked him
for his unwitting help in giving him “something
to chase.”
“The way the handicaps
worked out,” he explained, “meant that
I was chasing Gary all the way. It’s always
helpful to have someone in your sights, especially
in a long race because they act like a magnet, drawing
you to them.”
A dedicated trainer, Charlie
said that to be effective over 16 kilometres it was
essential that runners have several solid 20 km runs
under their belts. Accordingly, the field strung
out like Brown’s cows with as much as 37 minutes
separating the fastest from the slowest.
Those left
gasping at the tail of the field were wishing they
were juniors, who were given an easier assignment
over four kilometres. Still, Luca O’Flynn and
Alex Drew had a ding-dong battle with only a whisker
separating them in a dash to the finish.
By Keith Lofthouse
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