Vol. 1 No. 11 MAY 1987 PRICE $2 Clean sweep by AC T NATIONAL TITLES duo in Nike Marathon SERVE AS PRELUDE Garry Hand and Annette McNeill (Perkins) take National Vets titles in Canberra BY MIKE ADLER TO WORLD GAMES The 1987 Nike Canberra Marathon may not have attracted its usual array of top “name runners” but it nevertheless produced some outstanding performances. WORLD CLASS PERFORMANCES HIGHLIGHT In idyllic conditions — 13.03 improvement for ment is irrepressible 67- TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SYDNEY clear, cool and no breeze — 2.30.57 was magnificent. year-old George McGrath’s over 600 competitors lined- Geoff Damm and Ron 3.01.16! This is a 12 min­ up for the 7.30 start, and Vines also eclipsed their ute 20 second reduction of With World Games fever fast gathering typically the echo of the previous times. the M65 race record set by momentum around the country, a record near starting pistol had barely Personal bests also feat­ Norm Gulbranson in 1984. 700 entries were received for this year’s National faded, before race favourite ured prominently among So Norm lost a record Track & Field Championships held at the Sydney Garry Hand was showing a the leading women, Karen while setting a new one. Athletic Field over Easter, 17-20 April. clean pair of heels to the Banks, Lynda Walton Ever the optimist, Marie Nearly fifty National and nine World records were opposition. (NSW) and Carol Ey, 2nd, McGrath explained that set (subject to ratification) during an action packed four Leading clearly after 3rd and 4th all bettered George told her to look out days of competition. the 5-kilometre loop from their previous PB’s, as did for him from 2.45! George Many World class performances were witnessed two groups containing the PNG visitor Maria Lifu contested the 800 metres throughout the meeting, keeping the large crowd totally main contenders, Hand (7th), AverilWest(NZ) by at the Nationals and fol­ enthralled as each tactical confrontation seemed to had opened up a gap of a a massive 8 minutes for lowed that with a run in the capture their imagination. kilometre from his nearest 9th, and 10th placegetter Anzac Marathon a week From Day 1 the ACT’s brilliant Garry Hand set the rival by the half way mark. Shirley Kelly of Victoria later. pattern for things to come, with a bold, front running, all At this stage the sur­ with a 2-minute improve­ the way win, in a new National record time of 30.33.08, prise of the race was ment. The surprise brilliant International flavour was maintained with for the M40 10000 metres. Shepparton late entrant debut by Judy Hudson to With the exception of intermittent rain on the morn­ Brendan Norden who had fill 6th place in an excel­ Hans-Peter Wessling from Duisburg, West Germany ing o f Day 2, providing a wet track and slow times for moved through to second lent 3.14.50 augers well sprinters, also some discomfort for officials, conditions place after 7 kilometres, a for her future. Intending to contacting the Australian Embassy in Bonn for con­ during most events were relatively good. position he held for another contest a Triathlon on the Despite limited resources in various key areas causing 15 kni before weakening NSW South Coast, Judy tacts for Marathons in Australia during his holi­ some delays to the scheduled programme on the second to take 2.45 39 for Jfst missed her transport, took day, meet Director Hany Stanley and his many willing place. off for the marathon start, day here. He was put into contact with Race Director organisers, are to be congratulated on the manner in Meanwhile Hand, run­ made a late entry, and put which the enormity of the task was successfully conducted. ning an even second half, up a performance to be Dave Cundy, entered, and his 2.52.05 placed him The unique camaraderie of the Veteran Athletic organ­ annihilated the opposition proud of. M50 runner-up to ACT’s isation at these annual National Titles has to be exper­ to set an Australian Veteran Seventy-year-old ienced to fully appreciate the wonderful feeling of ‘ ‘fitness record of 2.19.0, almost 2 Queenslander Norm Gul- Peter Kallio, whose time was below par after a few through fellowship” and the great spirit of friendly kilometres ahead of Weston branson running his 20th competition that prevails. Creek club-mate and marathon — all under 3.30, weeks on the sidelines Club President 34-year- with injury. lopped 13 minutes off the Above: Aileen Hogan, W65, (Queensland), scorches to old Paul Rake runner up Queenslander Shirley Below: Looking in a pen­ M70 course record in a yet another sprint victory in the 200 metres, at the in 2.26.10. In seventh Harris had a big win in sive mood at the start of magnificent 3.24. He said National Track and Field Championships. position early, Rake moved his preparation was terrific W55 taking 13.43 off this year’s National Vets up a few places before until a fortnight ago when Brenda Every’s record in Marathon titles in Can­ The feature event of the meeting this year was the half-way, and finishing he unwisely raced a hard 4.09. There were 496 berra, Bill Seton, (NSW), inaugural running of the “ Master of Masters Sprint strongly, caught Phil Gar­ 30km, got weakened by a finishers. Queensland also No. 142 and Denis Fitz­ Handicap” , held on the second day of competition. vin at 41 kms and cleared virus and only ran 25 km provided the winner of the patrick, (Vic), No. 144. Comprising all individual 100 metres age-group winners, out to a 44 second advant­ over the past two weeks. Wheelchair division in 40- Fitzpatrick went on to take appropriately handicapped and run in two divisions (male age to give the ACT Weston Norm intends contesting year-old Mike Nugent, Gold medal honours in and female) the event provided the highlight of the Creek club the coveted the Gold Coast marathon who completed the course the M55 category, with a Championships. In a virtual blanket finish in each event, Quinelja. as his only other marathon in 2.6.50. great time of 2.52.00. photo cameras were required to determine the eventual Photo courtesy of The Nike was Hand’s before Melbourne. winners, the effervescent Fred Turner M45 (13.5 metres) “Canberra Times”. 50th marathon, his first What a colossal achieve­ (Refer results on Page 14). and 12.57, finishing over the top of M80 George Simp­ Nike win but his third son (56.23 metres) 12.66. In the female division the marathon success, having delightful Wilma Perkins, W35 (19.2 metres) got the previously been successful judges’ nod over Wendy Ey, W45 (24.35 metres) despite at Bathurst and Darwin. both recording 13.07. This was his fastest mara­ The tense atmosphere and anticipation of the capacity thon for 4 years. The home crowd before the race was quickly transformed by a town win gave him his car­ tumultuous reception for the athletes as they hit the line. eer highlight. It was a great innovation by the NSW Vets and hopefully it Weston Creek completed will become a permanent feature event on the National the double when 38 year- Titles. Track and Field programme. old Annette McNeill (Per­ (Refer report page 7. Full results on pages 8,9 and 10). kins) scored her first mara­ thon win in 4 years of running, in her 13th mara­ thon, with a 4!/2 minute margin from Karen Banks (29) who recorded a PB by Popular S. A. president, Dave 4 minutes over her Melb­ ourne effort in 1985 of Mallet steps down 2.58.09. McNeill (Perkins) has been an ACT Marathon Retiring president Dave Mallett stopped running more than a year ago due to Representative in 4 success­ osteoarthritis in the hips. He carried on in his office though and steered us, almost ive years, a medal winner single handedly at times, through the 1986 National Championships when so much on each occasion and the was left up to him. He was, of course, National President for our host year as well. leader of the ACT gold Dave does not take the “ accountancy” approach to sport. He never measures his athletics — medal-winning team in neither in times, medals, records or members. Rather than quantity, his ‘bottom line’ is quality. the last two years. As well as athletics, his other interests include backpacking in the wild, swimming, canoeing, Garvin ended up with rock climbing, cycling, soccer — anything physical. 2.26.54 after alternating He has devoted many voluntary days of his varied life helping youngsters carry out Duke of with NZ’s Bruce Blair Edinburgh Award activites. contesting his first mara­ Now Dave is at the crossroads. He needs hip replacement surgeiy soon and dreads the twelve thon in M40 ranks. Blair month physically inactive period that must follow. was relegated to fifth by Unable to run, Dave’s attention to athletics has naturally waned as he fell back on his other strong-finishing Tony pursuits. It is for this reason that he stood down from the presidency. His style of Club leadership Luyendyk who scored a has been the personal approach and together with his undeniable ability to organise with the mini­ PB o f 2.27.12 in his first mum of fuss, his great contribution to the S. A. Vets scene has been invaluable. year as an M40.