VETRUNNERY f ISSN 1449-8006 Vol. 41 Issue 9 — April 2020 Patron: Dick Telford Website: www.actmastersathletics.org.au Facebook: ACT Masters Athletics Club The monthly magazine of the ACT Masters Athletics Club Inc. Email: [email protected] All athletics in the ACT have been suspended P.22 Bryan Thomas 350 Handicaps Joan Mallory 300 Handicaps Reporter: Bryan Thomas Reporter: Bryan Thomas As a 39 year-old distance runner with the Cross Coun- Joan joined the club along with husband Al in 1984. Her try Club Bryan came into contact with members of the fledg- debut monthly handicap was at Lake Ginninderra in November ing Vets’ club who encouraged him to participate in their 1985. Until August 2014 all were in the long course but since events. Thus his debut handicap was in April 1981 at Lake then all have been in the Frylink Series. To date Joan has won Ginninderra. Almost all 350 handicaps have have been in the seven medals – two gold, two silver and three bronze. long course except five Frylinks and a Waddell due to injury. At the time of her 250th handicap in August 2014 she was To date Bryan has won fourteen medals – one gold, three one of only a few who had completed all 250 on the long course silver and ten bronze. and had the “quirky” record of having run more kilometres than In August 2014 Bryan became the second member to others to achieve this milestone – in Joan’s case she had run wear the green polo indicating having completed 300 run- more than 2,000km. In 2017 Joan, who was now a W85, had the ning handicaps but sadly Bryan’s wife Trish could not share best average age-graded performance over the year for the his special moment as she had died of a stroke just three Frylink Series and she did it again in the following two years. weeks earlier. However Bryan does have the honour of being Until her husband’s passing in October 2005 Joan and Al the first to complete 350 events. were a dedicated and active team who participated in every facet Although Bryan was primarily a distance runner hav- of club life - be it in competition, officiating, pack runs or social ing completed forty-four marathons, including thirteen in activities. Canberra with a PB of 2:36.37, and numerous other road and Joan has a proud record in the ACT Veterans’ Half Mara- cross-country races he was, and still is, a regular at track thon, completing the grueling event on eleven occasions and win- and field and in both monthly running and throwing handi- ning her age group seven times – as a W55 in 1987, 1988, 1989 caps. and 1990, W60 in 1991, W70 2003 and as a W75 in 2007. She ran Since 1990 he has been involved in almost every her only marathon in the 1987 World Veterans’ Championships throwing handicap but for the first six years he was the des- in Melbourne as a W55 in a time of 4:34.33. ignated official. In 2003 Bryan was awarded the Clohessy Her four other experiences of international competition Trophy as club-person of the year then in April 2016 he be- were at the Oceania Championships in Norfolk Island in 1992 came the ninth member to participate in 200 throwing hand- and sixteen years later in Townsville 2008, then again at Papeete icaps. He won the Connell Series point score in 2017 and 2010 and Tauranga in 2012. At Townsville she was the gold med- again in 2019. alist for the W75 cross-country and won her age group in the Following surgery to a knee and foot in 2004 Bryan 10.5km road race held as part of the Townsville Running Festi- found running difficult but discovered walking was easier so val. She again won gold in the W75 cross-country at the Oceania he joined the ACT Race and Fitness Walking Club and Championships in Papeete 2010 and as a W80 in Tauranga. sought a coach to help him learn this difficult athletic disci- Cont. P.4 pline. Bryan has now added race walking to his list of events. In 2016 he completed his eleventh Lake Burley Griffin 20 mile Classic in which he was the first fitness walker as well as the oldest finisher in the grueling 32km event. Bryan has participated in all but three Australian Championships since 1983 as well as several Australian and World Masters Games. He has also participated at seven World and six Oceania Masters Championships. Bryan has enjoyed a long involvement in club and event administration. He was elected to committee in 1981 and served continuously for seventeen years and for fourteen of those as president. During that time Bryan had undertak- en many tasks. Some of the more significant being; publicity officer, T&F and marathon records, Vetrunner editor, T&F sub-committee and as a member of the LOC for Australian Championships and Masters Games. Bryan was race director of the ACT Vets’ Half Marathon since it began in 1981 until handing the task over to others thirty years later. He discov- ered a way of being the event’s organiser as well as a compet- itor and has run twenty-one races for four age group victo- ries. cont. p.4 Bryan Thomas M75 with the club’s first 350 yellow tee shirt after 39 years of club membership. (photo: Suzie Gaynor) Page 2 — April 2020 Vetrunner Club Sponsors . “These shoes are designed for trail running. I used them to set a new age group record in the Mt Ainslie Parkrun on 7 December. I've also used them for training runs in Black Mountain. They are currently still in stock at the Runners Shop, and I can recommend them”. Clare Wall Philip Store: 76 Dundas Court Ph: 6285 3508 Gungahlin Store: Level 1 46/50 Hibberson St. Ph: 6241-7054 KINGSTON PHYSIOTHERAPY & SPORTS INJURY CENTRE Exciting news! Introducing Dietician & Sports Nutritionist SOPHIE STANWELL Sophie recently joined our Physio & Massage team and is also offering discounted services to ACTMAC members. Call or go on - line for more info. 02- 6 2 6 0 8 2 4 4 www.kingstonphysio.com.au Green Square Centre, Kingston (above Capital Chemist) Club Supporters The Club is grateful for the generous support of the following local businesses: National Mailing & Marketing for printing of Vetrunner, the Annual Report and other pamphlets Garry Maher of Manuka Drafting Service for donating prizes for the King and Queen of the Mountain in both Thomas & Frylink Series Belconnen Soccer Club and the Ainslie Aussie Rules footy club for providing rooms for the club meet- ings and other functions on request. Go Troppo Fyshwick Markets for a discount on fruit for our regular athletic events and the ACTMA and National Half Marathon Championship The Runners Shop for discounts to members for purchases, discounted gift vouchers for the half marathon and for providing medals at the Half Marathon. April 2020 Vetrunner — page 3 President’s Report It’s great to see everyone adapting to the new Run/Walk in keeping people handicap system with an open mind and enthusiasm. I can involved and connected relate with the backmarkers that we now do not have to wait as with friends. The long to start our event and the Frylinkers didn’t have to wait as committee is looking at long for us to finish either! This will be more appealing to new ways of increasing the members in the longer term and I acknowledge the efforts of benefits of social Robbie Costmeyer and his team for working hard to make our membership as we see events more attractive to members and new-comers. Having this as a vital part of Bruce Graham run through the field and take out the Thomas our club. event for the first time in ages is a good sign of opportunity for Our condolences to all. Ken Eynon and his So too, the refreshed handicap system at the monthly family for the loss of Throws certainly brought dividends for me, who usually as a Marianne, this sad younger ‘backmarker’ is competitively handicapped throwing news was felt through the heavier implements. I was surprised to pick up a rare the whole Canberra throwing medal for me, and delighted to just pip Suzie for the running community, as Gold! Ken and Marianne were There are some big events coming up for members in the also well known in the YMCA runners club. It is times like first half of the year: the 2020 AMA Nationals and the AMA these that we hope that ACTMA continues to be a club of Half-Marathon. I am excited to be heading to Brisbane for the fellowship and support, as much as it is an opportunity to Nationals, and wish everyone the best in representing the ACT compete. and our club in doing their personal bests. The Brisbane event Yours in running, jumping, throwing and walking is also a great opportunity for us to gather ideas for organising Shane Hutchison President: the nationals here in Canberra in 2021. The AMA half-marathon is a postal event this year, and our STOP PRESS: In the week since I wrote and distance runners have the opportunity to ‘compete’ against the submitted my report to the Vetrunner, the coronavirus situation best interstate athletes for an AMA medal. You can also enter has escalated in Australia alarmingly, and many athletics the ACTMA half marathon via postal and add to your tally of events are cancelled.