One of the most prestigious events on the Flack Advisory Bendigo Region calendar drew many athletes to the Quarry Hill course.

The 5km showdown was the feature event on Eaglehawk Athletics Club's invitation which had been postponed from earlier in the season.

Racing started and finished at Ken Wust Oval in Quarry Hill.

A first-year competitor in cross-country, Meade is racking up the kilometres for the World Ironman Triathlon to be run in Kona, Hawaii later in the year.

Meade and Harriers' young gun Matt Buckell had a great duel on the Quarry Hill course.

The race victor charged to the line in a time of 17.02 minutes as Buckell, 17.23, and University's Matthew Schepisi, 18.03, and Jayden Padgham, 18.17, were next best.

Racing in the 50-plus class, Wilkie put in another superb effort to achieve a time of 21.51 and be 26th fastest overall.

Category award winners were Eaglehawk's Gabby Rusbridge, open, 22.39; Matt Buckell, under-18, 17.23; University's Chris Griffin and Alison Cartner the 40-plus divisions in 19.30 and 24.59.

Mike Bieleny from University ran the course in 18.21 to be the men's 50-plus winner, and the 60-plus category champion was Eaglehawk's Trevor Kelly, 20.02.

A great day of racing included the 2.5km and 1km invitations.

Eaglehawk's Ben Fitzpatrick ran the 2.5km in 9.58 to win the men's open as clubmate Kelly Fullerton was the women's open titleholder in 10.39.

Under-16 winners were South Bendigo's Bernard Nihill, 9.08; and University's Tullie Rowe, 9.56.

The Tickell siblings, Logan and Chelsea were in great form in the under-14s 1km.

Logan ran the distance in 3.15 to win the boys event as Chelsea charged to the line in 3.48 to be the girls titleholder.

Both compete with South Bendigo Athletics Club.

Fastest in the under-10s 1km were Bendigo Harriers' Jordan Matthews, 3.54, and University's April Wainwright in 4.42.

Best in age graded ratings for the 1km were Mike Bieleny and Eaglehawk's Kathryn Heagney from Logan and Chelsea Tickell.

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