HALF MOVES to SPRING Better Option for Officials

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HALF MOVES to SPRING Better Option for Officials Volume 20 Issue 6 November 1999 The official newsletter of the ACT HALF MOVES TO SPRING Veterans Athletic Club Inc. All Correspondence to GPO Box 2356, Canberra, ACT 2601 Better option for officials Vetrunner on line at: http://www.tip.net.au/~jimod/ Editor’s E-mail: [email protected] INSIDE THIS ISSUE President’s Message 2 Chris Gamble in Darwin 3 WAVA Report 4 Throwing Handicap 6 Health Feature 9 The Way We Were 10 Vale Peter Tessyman 10 Bob Harlow and Carolyn Kramar are the first husband and wife team to win their Letters to the Editor 10 individual age groups in the same year in the club’s annual half marathon. Running Handicap 16 New Members 24 After 18 years one of the most many alternatives as an autumn date is not Social News 25 prestigious events on the vets calendar, feasible as the calendar for March, April Race Walkers Records 25 our annual half marathon, looks like and May is even more hectic. If you have Community Awards 29 losing its traditional spot on a packed a preference get in touch with Neil Adelaide Masters 29 athletics calendar. Boden, the chair of the Competition Sub- Committee Corner 30 Until this year the half has always Committee or even write a “Letter to the DATES TO WATCH Nov been held on the Sunday after the June Editor” giving your views. Track and Field 4, 11, 18, 25 long weekend. However, because of a I can tell you one thing that as far as Throwing Handicap Wed 24 mix up on dates this year the Terry Fox the ‘officials’ are concerned it is much Running Handicap Sun 28 Fun Run was scheduled for the Sunday better turning out in warmer conditions after the June long weekend. In 2000 it than it was on that bleak winter date. looks like there is going to be the same as Indeed after the ‘elite’ group was off on the Terry Fox is listed for the Sunday their journey the officials relaxed in the TRACK AND FIELD after the June long weekend. So it looks sunshine enjoying a coffee and a chat for Track and field got underway for the like your competition sub-committee will about an hour before they expected the new season on October 21. Full again be looking for an alternate date. first of the runners to finish. details and reports next month. While on this it would be a good Getting back to this year’s race. This THROWING CHAMPS opportunity for half marathon runners to year although we had the same three With the full results of the AAVAC let the club know what would be their individual starts, the first group got Winter Throwing Championships not preference for the annual half, in the underway at 8am half an hour earlier to hand at the time of going to print winter or in early spring. There are not (Continued on Page 11) details and report next issue. Page 2 Vetrunner Congratulations are due on a few fronts PRESIDENT’S was unopposed as Treasurer. this month. On our return to Canberra it was Club members Carol Baird, Ann determined that we had made a grave error Staunton, Robin Whyte, Peter Waddell MESSAGE in stating that Ray Green was unfinancial. and Lachlan Wilkinson produced Communication was undertaken (the day impressive performances during the 1999 after the election) to inform AAVAC of Australian Centurion Classic in Melbourne wouldn’t mind having a crack at this our error, both by phone and E-mail to on September 18-19. Carol and Robin event, if I can get fit enough to run 10km Stan Perkins and Email to Brian Foley. joined an elite group of Australian athletes maybe there’s room for a second team of Brian Foley responded and stated that Ray who have walked 100 miles (161km) novices. still held a position on the Board and he under 24 hours to become members of the This brings to mind an idea that has was glad the matter had been cleared up, Australian Centurion Club. See Peter been mooted for a long time, a challenge Stan Perkins informed me by phone that Waddell’s report in this issue. to NSW Vets in Track and Field. If there Ray was more valuable to AAVAC as a A group of about 28 Club members is a free weekend in the calendar we Board member than as Vice President. (they are ours even if the results showed should be able to get a team of throwers, The ACTVAC agrees that a grave error they belonged to places like Sri Lanka and walkers, sprinters, jumpers and arrange a in judgment has been made and an apology Lithuania) competed in the Masters Games meet say at Sydney or Wollongong, put from Colin and I is due both in writing and in Adelaide with some excellent up a perpetual trophy and make it an personally and this has been given to Ray performances. They came home with a annual event. Green. swag of medals. (See Masters Games In my last report I did not mention the A Message from Ian Anderson in report). election of officers at the AGM of Norfolk Island re Oceania Games - The Australian Winter Throwing AAVAC. Stan Perkins was elected Pentathlon events and uniforms: Championships took place over the long unopposed as President, he stated that weekend. The numbers were down a bit, there was a nomination for Vice President Dear Ken, Sorry for not replying to you this may have been due to the Masters in writing from Ray Green, a Tasmanian straight away in reply to your queries, but Games. Saturday was a glorious day after delegate asked if Ray was a financial we have had E-mail problems. Re it had rained all day Friday and then it member of ACTVAC, Colin Bridge said uniforms - Sorry it is not acceptable to rained continually Sunday and Monday, that according to the membership record wear an ACT club uniform. Athletes but the show went on. I was there for the he had with him, Ray was not a financial competing at championships must wear a Saturday competition in shorts and T-shirt, member, Stan Perkins stated that Ray was uniform that is acceptable to their national but I still had to wear wellies, maybe there not eligible and as there were no further body and that clearly identifies which will be better conditions next year. If I nominations the position would be left country the athlete is representing. recall correctly, we endured similar open until the matter was cleared up. The Pentathlon: The events for the pentathlon conditions a couple of years ago. Put it in NSW delegate Jim Seymon then stated men and women are: Long jump, shot put, your diary now, long weekend in October that an opportunity was not given to take 100m, javelin, 800m for women, long 2000 Winter Throwing Championships. nominations from the floor, this was jump, discus, 200m, javelin, 1500m for To Ray Green and his band of helpers a agreed to by the meeting. Peter Crombie men. job well done under very trying was nominated and elected to Vice Thought for the month: Don’t byte off conditions. President, Brian Foley was reelected more than you can view. By the time you read this message the unopposed as Secretary, Peter Dunham “Fitness through fellowship” KEN first track and field night for the season will have been held at Woden Athletic track. The program to begin with will not SUB COMMITTEE CONTACTS be as long as we are used to due to there Club members wishing to contact any of the Membership / Communication - being no lights and I think it is a credit to seven Sub-Committees should in the first Roger Stewart 62882798 (h) the Track and Field sub committee in instance contact the respecitve chair 62656096 (w) getting a program together under difficult persons at: [email protected] circumstances that I am sure will please Aminstration / Club Structure - most. Dave Mackenzie 62885891 (h) Running Handicaps / IT Infratructure 62881844 (w) Colin Bridge 62901857 (h) The Canberra Times Fun Run has been 61216569 (w) run and won, I hope that all that took part Competition - [email protected] on that day enjoyed the run and did a PB. Neil Boden 62414023 (h) I read with a great deal of interest Jim 62014269 (w) Social / Ceremonies - [email protected] O’Donnell’s story on the Wagga Wagga Raine Thompson [email protected] 62901857 (h) Marathon relay. What a great way for a Coaching and Training - 62644176 (w) group of club members to get together. I Fran Harris 62302341 [email protected] Vetrunner Page 3 IT STARTED ON A COLD CANBERRA MORNING And continued in the heat 150km from Darwin Chris and Lyn Gamble chatting away. Pat recently took a trip to the appeared very brown, lean Northern Territory and and extremely fit looking. caught up with Pat I soon had my running Farmer who is running shoes on and off we went around Australia to running together. Noel celebrate the centenary took the opportunity to of Australia. Chris rest in the vehicle - he had descibes how it began been running about 15km and his run with Pat. per day with Pat to break the monotony. Lyn drove My story begins back our hire car up ahead, and on May 31. A rather the support vehicle was cloudy, cold and chilly behind us. Canberra morning. I It was about 10.30am, came to Parliament house around 28 deg., beautiful to farewell Pat, and clear blue cloudless sky witness him taking his with not a breeze blowing, first few history making and here I am running steps as he began his epic alongside a legend- journey around Australia extraordinaire, with Pat to celebrate the centenary creating history in every of Federation.
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