Records broken, record numbers at mountain contest

AROUND 300 took part in the annual Wandi Cross last Saturday, a record number for the event, with ideal conditions a probable factor behind top course times for the 27km race. Event co-organiser Matt Cooper said both Blake Hose and Gillian Turnbull broke the male and female 27km course record at 3 hours and 9minutes, and 4 hours and 14 minutes, respectively. Mr Cooper said the male record was “incredibly fast”. “It was definitely perfect winter conditions,” he said. “Lots of runners came back with good comments about how good the course was, and at the same time how hard it was. “They were smiling but they were hurting at the same time” Tim Goddard took out first in the 14km race at 1 hour and 39 minutes, which he put down to a thinner crowd of top runners in the race. “I think I got a bit lucky today, there was a few guns that didn't do the 14, a couple were in the 27, a couple are about to head overseas for some proper trail running,” he said. I'm used to being in the top few, but I never really seem to win.” Unlike usual, he managed the trek without getting muddy. "The Wandi Cross is always going to be quite steep, plenty of hills, but this year [was] a bit different with the weather being so nice,” he said. “It's normally muddy, snowing, cold, miserable, but today was just a perfect day.” The event consists of four mountain runs – a 2km kids run, a 5km fun run, a 14km run over both Mystic Mountain and Goldmine Spur, and a 27km trek with four mountain ascents that circles through Freeburgh. Dan Trevena of Bright, who came first in the 5km run, said the ground was soft and tacky, but not slippery, and the course was well marked. He hadn’t even slipped over, which he suggested was down to not running hard enough. “There's been a bit of track work to smooth out some sections, so it was in excellent condition,” he said. “It's extremely steep and quite technical, but it's a lot of fun.” Mr Cooper thanked volunteers for helping organise and run the event. “We really had a good helping from not only local people, but people who traveled here as well, just to help out,” he said. He gave a special mention to Wandiligong Primary School principal Bob Clyne and school teacher Darcy Martin for taking on the 14km race. The race raises money for the primary school students to attend a two-day adventure excursion at Mount Buffalo, including kayaking, abseiling and rock climbing. The amount raised is yet to be determined.

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