VETRUNNER www.webathlletics.com.au/actvac.com Volume 22 Issue 9— February, 2002 THE SPRINT THAT'S A GIFT 100m Men's Winner. M35 Michael Roden takes advantage of his handicap to take top place in the Men's 100m Final of the President's Gift. Hot on his heels are M45 Robert Barbaro, M35 Ken Telfer and M40 Kevin Matthews. 100m Women's Winner. W50 Margaret Taylor was also handicapped to perfection taking the Women's 100m Final of the President's Gift, Maureen Rossiter was second and Cory Collins third. The track and field details, results start on Page 13. See all the pictures in full colour on the Internet at www.actvac.com and click on "Publications". Inside this month Sprint Marathon Relays Four Peaks Challenge 3 Vikings Canberra Gift 12 The Sprint Marathon Relays will be History of Vets 5 Patron's Message 12 held this year on Sunday, February The Wisdom Physio File 9 WMA News 24 10. This very exciting event starts and Obituaries 10 Social News 25 finishes at the Deek Recreation Area. Awards Sub-Committee 11 John Richardson Writes 25 To take part call Jim White 62314168. Page 2 — February Vetrunner At the last AIS track and field possession of the farmyard ox . meeting for 2001, Mike Adler told me and . remarked to the spectators: about two recent triumphs by ACT FROM YOUR ‘Damnation take it! I swear it was the veterans, sprinters at the extreme ends goddess tripped me up – the one who of our Club age groups. PRESIDENT always dances attendance, like a Ken Telfer (M35) is well known to mother, on Odysseus.’ most of us as a top sprinter in ACT Vets “But they only laughed at him, and ACT Athletics inter- club breath fanned Ajax’ head. He was delightedly. And now Antiochus came competition. Ken decided to try himself straining every nerve to win, and all the in. He took the last prize with a smile in a wider field, and entered the Achaeans (Greeks) cheered him, and made them a speech. ‘Friends,’ he Gilgandra Gift over 120m. Against shouting encouragement to a man who said ‘I’ll tell you something that you quality opposition and off a mark of was doing all he could already. As they know already. The gods still favour the 11.5m, Ken won the final. drew near the finish, Odysseus offered old crowd; for though Ajax is only a little Closer to home, the Queanbeyan Gift up a prayer to Athens . and she older than myself, Odysseus over there attracted a strong field in the Veterans’ lightened all his limbs. is the product of an earlier generation, a 120m. Against men young enough to be “They were just about to dash up to relic of the past. But his old age, as his sons, our Jack Thackray led until the prizes, when Ajax slipped in full they say, is green; and it’s a hard job to the very last few strides and finished in career . where the ground was littered beat him in a race – for any of us but second place. The crowd could not with dung…while the much-enduring Achilles.’” [Homer: The Iliad believe that he was 71-years-old. excellent Odysseus, having caught him (translated by E V Rieu)] Ken and Jack, and indeed all-active up and finished, carried off the silver May the gods still favour us, and veteran athletes, belong to a noble and bowl. The illustrious Ajax took may our old age be green. JOHN HUNT ancient tradition. I want to share with you the story told in Homer’s Iliad (composed somewhere between 900 and 750 BC) of a race held at the funeral games for Patroclus, beloved friend of Achilles. Achilles offered as first prize “a mixing bowl of chased silver . the loveliest thing in the world, a masterpiece of Sidonian craftsmanship.” Second prize was “a large, well-fattened ox” and third prize was “half a talent in gold.” The three contenders were Ajax the Runner, Nestor’s son Antilochus and “Odysseus of the nimble wits”. Now Odysseus (also known as Ulysses) was clearly the veteran in the field, as he had left a son Telemachus back home in Ithaca many years before. “They went all out from scratch. Ajax soon shot ahead; but very close behind him came the good Odysseus . So little was there in it, Odysseus’ feet were falling in the tracks of Ajax before the dust had settled down Christmas goodies. This bevy of beautiful young ladies presented athletes with again; and he kept up so well that his 'trophies' at the track meet on December 20. Suitably dressed, the female versions of 'Santa Clauses', also took part in the relay event. ACT VETERANS ATHLETIC CLUB “Fitness through Fellowship” The Vetrunner is the official Newsletter of ACTVAC Postal address: GPO Box 2356, Canberra, ACT 2601. Internet: webathletics.com.au or actvac.com Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of ACTVAC. Patron: Jack Pennington. (m). Athletic Events Sub-Committee. Catering/Lost Property: Uniform/badges sales: President: John Hunt 62419392 (h) Mick Corlis 62963969 (h) Email John Suiter (Track) 62959524, Kent and Rosemary Parker 62882508 (h). 62748035 (w) Email [email protected] Registrar. Lynn Williams (Monthly Hcps) 62474127. Vetrunner Editor: Jim O’Donnell [email protected] Jayne Hardy 62271443 (h) 4012262257 Course measurement: 62513016. Email: [email protected] (m). Coaching and Training Sub- Terry Levings 62824190 (h). Vice President: Carol Baird 62882589 Vetrunner distribution: Committee. Equipment Officer: Ken Gowans (h) Membership Services and Keith Johnson 62314891 (h) Email Garry Maher 62394214 (h) 62396670 62881651 (h) 62656751 (w). Participation Sub-Committee. [email protected] (w). Occupational Health and Safety Alice Scott 62549460 (h) Vetrunner team and Running Secretary: Roger Stewart 62882798 (h) 62838329 Officer: Roy Jones 62510148 (h). Handicaps: Doug Fry 62886439 (h) Email [email protected] (w). Administration and Club Structure Relays, Cross Country: Email: [email protected] Competition Sub-Committee Sub-Committee. Jim White 62314168 (h). Treasurer: Nev Madden. Deirdre Russack 62417373 (h) Statistician: Quentin Anthony 62863885 Vetrunner team: Annie Van Herck 62974485 (h). Mobile 62643524 (w). Administration and Club Email [email protected] 0413044899. Structure Sub-Committee. Thomas/Frylink/Waddell Handicaps Email [email protected] Doug Fry 62886439 (h) First Aid Officers: Assets register, Insurance. Other Contacts: Email: [email protected] Vince Craig, John Ison, Allan Morris, Committee: Awards Sub-Committee, half marathon Throws Handicap, Weight Pentathlon: Gai Webster, Michelle Glanville, Bob Banens 62623405 (h) 41415844902 Archives: Bryan Thomas 62963278 (h). Trish Thomas 62963278 (h). Marlene Reid and Roy Jones. February Vetrunner — Page 3 ANNIVERSARY OF THE BRIGHT'S FOUR PEAKS CHALLENGE This year (2001) was the 23rd THE FOUR MOUNTAINS - THE HEIGHTS AND DISTANCES: anniversary of the Bright's Four Porepunkah Feathertop Hotham Buffalo Peaks Alpine Challenge. NIGEL Height 1194m 1922m 1860m 1200m COLDRICK writes about this tough Distance 6400m 10870m 14770m 10460m events and its challenges. The Records: Men Women The four peaks event is a fantastic Porepunkah Paul Crake 41.34 Sandra Timmer-Arends 54.45 Feathertop Paul Crake 61.05 Nicki Taws 83.26 event for all types of runners. Even Hotham Paul Crake 79.29 Sandra Timmer-Arends 107.24 though the races are tough, you can Buffalo Paul Crake 54.08 Nicki Taws 72.31 start any time between 7.30am and 8.30am and walk the tougher bits if necessary. It is fairly unique in that no organised body runs the race. Reg and Elaine Splatt with a wonderful band of volunteers run the events in a more professional and friendly manner than many other races arranged by organised bodies. At a cost of $3 per mountain (Reg says its going up to $5 for the day- trippers next year) or $10 to do all four events it is really doing itself an injustice by being so cheap. Harrietville - beautiful one day, perfect the next (sounds like a good slogan for an ad.). In the many trips we have made to the Bright district we have never before managed to have three days of such perfect weather, and the fourth day wasn't too bad compared to some previous years. In some previous years I have arrived in perfect weather on the Friday before the races and then had to run through blizzards to reach the peaks. This year the weather was beautiful upon arrival and stayed that way for three days. Reg says The Coldricks. Maree and Nigel Coldrick have another go at the very demanding he should have the credit for arranging Bright's Four Peak Alpine Challenge. They were joined by other vets including Colin such perfect weather - so what Bridge, Mike Gardner, Mick Horan and Bob Barb. happened on the fourth day Reg? admiration of the fairer sex would know have been regulars over the previous Maree and I weren't sure whether that allowing him to wander around years but Colin was participating for the we were going to compete this year as I with all those babes out sunbaking first time. This was a bit of shock for had hardly run for nearly two years and would be like letting a kid loose in a those of us who regularly run with Maree wasn't that fit either. We decided lolly shop. But just meeting up with Reg Colin. Colin is not a hill runner. When that we must come back and do it again again reminded us of how friendly and Colin won the M50 marathon on the after a chance encounter on the Gold enjoyable the Bright Four Peaks event Gold Coast some years back, he Coast.