REIGNING champions Meredith Cook and Brady Threlfall raced to back-to-back victories in the Athletics Bendigo classic, the RetireInvest Glen Allan Memorial on Saturday at Emu Creek.
The race was run over a similar course to last year, but a different distance of 11km.
A week after powering to another Queen of the Mountain title at One Tree Hill, Cook achieved a hat-trick of women’s open victories in the Glen Allan Memorial.
The Bendigo YMCA Harriers athlete raced to the line in 42.19 minutes and was seventh overall.
Uniquely, Cook’s three victories in the Glen Allan Memorial have been over three different distances.The classic was run over 15km in 2008, 10km in 2009 and 11km this year.
Second female to finish was Bendigo YMCA’s Anne Buckley, 46.16 minutes, to win the veterans 40-plus section.
University’s Erica Wilkinson was third female overall and second in the over-40 class.
In the battle for the men’s title, Threlfall ran a time of 38.02 minutes, to finish 2.17 minutes clear of Eaglehawk junior Kaine Leech, who won the under-20 section.
Threlfall had won the King of the Mountain for the fifth year in a row the previous weekend.
University veteran Mike Bieleny achieved a super time of 40.25 minutes to be third overall.
Next best in the open section were South Bendigo clubmates Russell Fenwick in 42.05 and Leigh Browell, who raced home strongly in the second half of the race for a time of 42.32.
Yvette Tuohey, of the Bendigo YMCA Harriers, took out the under-20 women’s section in 51.51 minutes.
In a hotly-contested veteran 50-plus section, the Harriers’ Charles Chambers was successful ahead of clubmate Derek Higham and South Bendigo marathon star John McGrath.
In the 3km event YMCA’s Brenton Hassett raced to victory ahead of Dave Tarrant and Josh Powell. Hassett won the under-16 section ahead of Tom Savage and Ashley Taylor.
In the under-14 boys’ section YMCA’s Josh Powell won from South’s Dane Heiden and BYM’s Nathan Green.
The South Bendigo sisters of Samantha and Nicole Erwin were the first females across the line in the 3km event in 12.23 minutes, with Sam given the nod for victory ahead of Nicole.
South Bendigo’s Deanne Hocking was a convincing winner in the under-18 girls’ section.
In the junior 1km race, Bendigo YMCA’s Ben Powell ran the fastest time of 3.54 minutes, with Bridie Semmens the fastest girl in 4.15.
The Bendigo YMCA’s Zac Denahy claimed the first under-12 boys’ prize, with clubmate Chloe Green winning the under-12 girls’ section.
Next major race on the Athletics Bendigo calendar will be the Keith Huddle Memorial Road Race from Eaglehawk to Bendigo on Sunday, October 17.
The Keith Huddle is the last point scoring event in the ‘‘The Athletes Foot’’ Winter Athlete Award for men and women.
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