Saturday 11 June 2022
A chilly morning met competitors at the APSOC McPhail 8km sealed handicap race, with the long weekend meaning the race was moved to 9am, rather than the traditional 2:30pm start. The best of the Club was on display, with not only a huge number of red & black singlets in the race, but countless OXAC members, family, and friends around the course helping with marshalling, photography, and the morning tea at our ‘home ground’ event.
The 8km race was a ‘sealed handicap’, meaning that everyone starts together, and the handicaps are revealed after the race. The course was 2 laps of a 4km loop around Yarra Bend Park, with a tough 200m hill to finish both laps.
At the top end of the race, OXAC’s phenomenal depth shone through, with a top pack of 6 runners working together and filling 6 of the top 9 positions. These runners were Aidan Jackson (3rd, 26:56), Ben Haseler (4th, 27:55), Pete Chappell (5th, 28:19), Ant Meek (6th, 28:31), Dan McConnell (7th, 28:40) and Cam Marshall (9th, 29:05), who also picked up a 2nd place in the U23 division. Pablo Campillos (20th, 31:35), strong as always, won the M50s division.
We had some excellent performances from our Xaverina women too. Lauren Moseby (21st, 31:37) and Women’s Captain Sue Hinckfuss (38th, 34:46) finished 3rd and 4th in the W40s respectively. OXAC had the entire podium for W23, with Annabelle Colman (23rd, 32:26), Georgia Guiney (49th, 36:10), and Henrietta Donoghue (87th, 41:32) taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively. Margaret Fitzgerald (65th, 38:19), with a smile on her face as usual, won the W60 category and finished 7th in the handicap.
In the end, 35 red & black singlets crossed the line out of 110 runners in the race, highlighting the fantastic strength in numbers we have as a Club. Full results are available here.
A special thanks must go to Peter Curtis, Pierre Guillon, Jeremy Spradbery, Anthony de Castella, Eamon O’Callaghan, John MacMillan, and the many others who helped out with marshalling and supporting on the day. A fantastic morning tea was held under the OXAC tent after the race for our runners to re-fuel with some well-deserved treats!
The next two races are AV events, with the Cruden Farm 12km this Saturday 18 June, and the Ekiden at St Anne’s the following Saturday 25th June. After that, lots of OXAC runners will be off to the Gold Coast Marathon Festival chasing some PBs on the flat and fast course! The APSOC Lodge Handicaps are also that weekend, for those remaining in Melbourne. A big month of competition ahead – Go Xavs!
Aidan Jackson
OXAC Men’s Captain