Girton’s quest in City-Surf rolls on

Updated November 7 2012 - 12:06am, first published August 6 2008 - 12:31pm
EXCITED: Some of Girton’s students who will compete in the City to Surf from Hyde Park in Sydney to Bondi Beach on Sunday.
EXCITED: Some of Girton’s students who will compete in the City to Surf from Hyde Park in Sydney to Bondi Beach on Sunday.

THE Bendigo-based Girton Grammar will have a 75-strong team heading to Sydney tomorrow to compete in the City to Surf run on Sunday.Decked out in their yellow singlets, Girton will be aiming to stand out among a field of more than 60,000 in the 14km run from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach.Sunday’s run will cap many months of training by the keen students and teachers.It will be the 11th consecutive time that Girton Grammar has fielded a team in the classic.‘‘Each year the numbers of students keen to run in the City of Surf has kept on growing,’’ said Dean Langley, Master in Charge of Girton Grammar’s program for the City to Surf run.‘‘The college’s first run in the City to Surf was back in 1998 when 10 students competed,’’ Langley said.‘‘This year we have 65 students who will run.‘‘We have a couple of talented athletes from Year 8, and the rest are from Years 9 to 12.’’Langley said the City to Surf was not just for those who regularly competed in athletics, but for students keen to build their fitness base and enjoy the challenge of the City to Surf.Training for this year’s group began at the start of Term Four last year.‘‘The Wednesday morning running group starts off at a distance of 3km up to 5km and gradually builds up,’’ Langley said of the training program.The group regularly tackles the climbs at Rosalind Parik.‘‘We have also varied the workouts to include some shorts sessions at the Tom Flood Sports Centre, and also in the Girton gymnasium.‘‘There is a lot of enthusiasm at training and everyone is really dedicated,’’ Langley said of the 7am starts on chilly mornings.For students from out of Bendigo, there is also a smaller training group which takes to the streets and hills on a Thursday afternoon.Although the challenge will be firstly to finish the race, Langley said Girton would also be vying for team awards in various age groups.Last year, Girton’s squad achieved two wins and two runner-up placings.‘‘The fastest three times from a team in each age group determine the team awards,’’ Langley said.

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