By Jamie Strudley
YARRA RANGES ATHLETICS
THE annual Athletics Victoria Half Marathon is looked forward to for numerous reasons each year: Father’s Day, bucket list, personal best or fun run!
Many of the Yarra Ranges Athletics athletes were competing in their first ever half marathon, approaching it with feelings of excitement, dread and trepidation.
All that disappears once the starters gun goes and the 600-plus athletes thunder off along the fast, flat Yarra Boulevard circuit.
Up the pointy end, the state’s best athletes are racing along at three minutes per kilometre, further back the social runners are enjoying a more leisurely pace.
The most impressive performances came from James Laven and Veida Somerville.
Congratulations also to James, Claire Knell and Laura DiGregorio for completing their first half marathon.
The club’s junior athletes also raced; all running a fast 6km course.
Some excellent running from all our juniors with the highlights being Georgia Laven securing the Under 16 Girls Individual Series win and our Under 14 boys winning the teams event and securing the Under 14 Boys Series team title.
Thanks went to the non-competing support crew who jumped to the aid of the race organisers to manage the water station.
The next club event is this Saturday, 10 September, when they have their summer season “Launch at the Lake”.
The event involves the club partnering with Lillydale Lake Park Run and Yarra Ranges Shire to hold a “come and try, see and do day” at Lillydale Lake.
For information, visit yarrarangesathletics.org.au.
