Diamond Valley Athletic Club athlete, Chris Rancie, came away from the 15km Road Race at Lake Wendouree, Ballarat, well satisfied with his run. Not only had he notched up his first-time honour of being the best DVAC finisher at an open age event, but he had also achieved his set pace targets for the race.
The 15km Road Race was the 4th Round of Athletics Victoria cross country season and was held at the Ballarat venue for the first time. Athletes completed an out and back three-kilometre loop before running two laps of the 6km course around the empty Lake Wendouree. Conditions were cold and windy, but once the race got under way, athletes found the wind as much help as hindrance on the circular course.
Rancie, who will race in the Gold Coast Marathon in two weeks time, showed the benefits of his distance training in his ability to maintain a steady pace throughout the race. Setting himself a target of running a pace of 3:30 per kilometre before the race, Rancie was able to achieve this target with precision by crossing the line in 52:31.
The DVAC Division 2 Men's team finished in eighth position and was made up by Rancie, Matthew Taylor, Ben Norman, Adam Bell, Didier Martin and Rob Wendel.
In the Men's 60 Plus division, Robin Broberg finished in the third place with a time of 63:27. In the Men's 50 Plus teams competition, Didier Martin, Rob Wendel and Robin Broberg were placed fourth.
Ben Ashkettle won the Open Men's race in a time of 46:20. Ballarat running legend, Steve Moneghetti, had opened up a lead on Ashkettle in the last lap of the lake before being reigned in and passed in the final kilometre. The Women's 15km race was won by South Australian, Tara Palm, who finished in 51:42.
The only DVAC woman to run the 15km, Caitlin Broberg, had set herself a target of breaking 75 minutes and was rewarded for maintaining a very consistent pace throughout the run when she crossed the line in 74:27.
Sarah Leeming, Madison Adams and Maria Benke kept the DVAC Women's Under 18 team with a complete score-card for the AV season by completing the 5km Junior race at Ballarat. The team finished in fourth place.
The next event on the AV XCR'09 Calendar will the Harcourt to Bendigo Eikiden Relay to be held on Saturday 4 July.
Article and results by Max Balchin. Video by David Armstrong
Results| Open (15km) : | Caitlin Broberg (13:28 / 43:38) 1:14:28; (invite: Emily Jackson 1:10:38) |
| Under 18 (5km): | Sarah Leeming 23:51; Maria Benke 25:23 |
| Under 16 (5km): | Madison Adams 24:21 |
| Open 15km: Chris Rancie (9:32 / 30:33) 52:32 (66); Matthew Taylor (9:21 / 31:06)
53:03 (77); Ben Norman (9:31 / 31:09) 53:51 (88); Adam Bell (10:08 / 32:51)
56:18 (149); Didier Martin (11:00 / 35:44) 61:17 (260); Rob Wendel (11:12 /
36:32) 61:53 (275); Robin Broberg ( 12:07 / 38:11) 63:27 (303); Gary Hammett
(11:40 / 37:32) 63:29 (304); Rod Mothersole (11:41 / 38:13) 64:06 (318); *(Splits at 3km / 9km) |