Jaggad Bush Capital Bush Marathon Festival

Jaggad Bush Capital Bush Marathon Festival
Campbell High School, ACT
Saturday 29 July

MIGHTY DENT PERFORMANCE

Commonwealth Games steeplechase star Martin Dent slashed 8 minutes from the course record held by dual mountain running international John Winsbury to win today's Jaggad Bush Capital Bush 16kms in a scintillating 51 mins 19 seconds. Nick-named 'Mighty Marty' by his running mates Dent added the hilly trail run around Mt Ainslie to his accomplishments in the last 12 months which have included 4th in the Commonwealth Games steeplechase on the track, 1st in the Australian cross country and 1st in the Australian half marathon on the road. Dent's training partner, Australian road running representative Anthony Haber, was 2nd in 52:41 and former national junior champion Erwin McCrae was third in 53:06.
Three-time Australian mountain running representative Fiona Jorgensen set a new course record by almost 8 minutes of 73:16 in the women's race, with Australian duathlon representative Vicki Godfrey second in 74:18 and Kim Chisholm third in 76:03.
The cool but sunny conditions also contributed to record breaking performances in other events. Perry Blackmore ran 3:05:15 to win the 42km Bush Marathon and break his own course record, with Wollongong's Vanessa Haverd lopping half an hour off the women's record in running 3:47:56. In the 60km Bush Capital Bush Ultra, former Australian rogaining champion David Singleton slashed 5 minutes off the record in clocking the extraordinary time of 4:24:03. Dual world rogaining champion Julie Quinn was only just outside her own record in running 5:20:36.
In the 25km run Christine Pauling ran 2:03:45 to better her own record while Jeffrey Glick's 1:41:18 was just over 3 minutes outside Vince Craig's 2005 record.

5k: Males: 1 Ben Cootes 17.52 (record), 2 Michael Chapman 18.08, 3 Benjamin Israel 18.33, 4 Robert Dunkley 18.34, 5 Nick Vaughan 18.43, 6 Keith Law 19.01, 7 Stephen Mifsud 22.41, 8 Craig Smith 26.19, 9 Paco Iglesias 27.30, 10 Jay McWilliam 29.34, 11 Leonidas Hidalgo 33.17. Females: 1 Catriona Windsor 20.56 (record), 2 Esther Glover 23.24, 3 Shannon Crane 23.29, 4 Lucy Hall 25.25, 5 Kathleen Bleakley 25.45, 6 Helen Mains 27.10, 7 Maybritt Prahl 29.34, 8 Leharne Fountain 30.07, 9 Miranda Evans 33.15, 10 Alicia Garcia 33.30, 11 Brigid Evans 33.33, 12 Jane Vincent 37.33, 13 Marguerite Evans 43.24.

16k:Males: 1 Martin Dent 51.19 (record), 2 Anthony Haber 52.41, 3 Erwin McRae 53.06, 4 Philo Saunders 54.58, 5 Ben Wisbey 1.06.14, 6 Des Brown 1.06.17, 7 Chris Newton 1.09.09, 8 Matt Wardell 1.13.47, 9 Graeme Lendrum 1.14.18, 10 Gary Molineux 1.15.19, 11 Steve Mackenzie 1.16.17, 12 Lachlan Dow 1.17.32, 13 David Clarke 1.18.48, 14 Cameron Goodwin 1.22.02, 15 Rick Whyte 1.22.28, 16 Alan Newton 1.24.51, 17 Don Roach 1.26.43, 18 Geoff Moore 1.27.11, 19 Eddie Fardell 1.27.21, 20 Greg Evans 1.28.07, 21 Tony Falzarano 1.30.56, 22 Peter Evans 1.31.41, 23 Horst Punzmann 1.33.44, 24 John Shelton-Agar 1.34.46, 25 Stephen Reynolds 1.36.13, 26 Nick Simpson 1.39.17, 27 John Gosling 1.40.11, 28 George Kubitzky 1.42.57, 29 Peter Hogan 1.51.26, 30 James Minto 1.06.27, 31 Mark Hurwitz 1.09.56, 32 Scott Wilkinson 1.12.18, 33 John Kennedy 1.12.31, 34 Patrick Kluth 1.12.49, 35 Peter Maher 1.13.16, 36 Tim Carlin 1.14.45, 37 Gary Potter 1.16.03, 38 Peter Thomson 1.16.05, 39 Ian Dawson 1.17.01, 40 Jim White 1.17.47, 41 David Watt 1.20.33, 42 Max Bogenhuber 1.22.45, 43 Geoff Barker 1.23.22, 44 Guy Roberts 1.25.22, 45 Don Smith 1.25.48, 46 Roberto Mengoni 1.26.22, 47 Richard Hilhorst 1.28.32, 48 Michael Thomson 1.28.59, 49 Kevin Chapman 1.33.44, 50 Ray Bramwell 1.38.37, 51 Blair Phillips 1.38.44, 52 Steve Gray 1.39.47, 53 Graeme Small 1.39.52, 54 Adam Smith 1.49.33, 55 Doug Fry 1.51.23, 56 Graham Coddington 1.51.54, 57 Tim Sawkins 1.57.34, 58 Eric Lindemann 2.01.49, 59 Gregg Barclay 2.01.50, 60 Bernie Rogers 2.03.58, 61 Gordon Bevan 1.51.57. Females: 1 Fiona Jorgensen 1.13.14 (record), 2 Vicki Godfrey 1.14.10, 3 Kym Chisholm 1.15.41, 4 Leah Afiabo 1.18.03, 5 Cathy Crompton 1.20.05, 6 Amy Bainbridge 1.22.19, 7 Jeni Greenland 1.23.09, 8 Megan McCann 1.24.52, 9 Diana Schneider 1.26.24, 10 Emma Packer 1.26.34, 11 Helen Larmour 1.27.11, 12 Maria O'Reilly 1.27.11, 13 Laura Toyne 1.27.52, 14 Michelle Hillard 1.28.24, 15 Caroline Campbell 1.29.53, 16 Elle Knight 1.31.09, 17 Charmaine Knobel 1.31.29, 18 Natasha Herron 1.31.41, 19 Claire Barbato 1.31.58, 20 Christine Butzer 1.32.17, 21 Kate Pumpa 1.32.31, 22 Michelle Croker 1.33.28, 23 Nicole Martin 1.33.28, 24 Natasha Cole 1.34.18, 25 Brandie O'Connor 1.35.28, 26 Julia Hindmarch 1.35.38, 27 Margaret Van Belkom 1.35.38, 28 Ruth Baussmann 1.36.09, 29 Marian Blake 1.36.35, 30 Belinda Brandon 1.39.17, 31 Anja Roberts 1.39.48, 32 Julianne Quaine 1.40.05, 33 Maria White 1.40.13, 34 Christine Coogan 1.40.18, 35 Alison East 1.41.00, 36 Robyn McClelland 1.41.32, 37 Tracey Crooks 1.41.46, 38 Michele Boyle 1.42.13, 39 Prue Bradford 1.43.02, 40 Raelene Farrell 1.43.31, 41 Patti Wilkins 1.44.05, 42 Norma Lindemann 1.45.36, 43 Bec Brown 1.47.34, 44 Linda Powell 1.47.34, 45 Josephine Hermans 1.49.51, 46 Rebekah Sawkins 1.51.09, 47 Ann Dawson 1.51.25, 48 Jane Saye 1.52.02, 49 Nicolee Martin 1.52.32, 50 Sacha Coles 1.53.57, 51 Beryl Walsh 1.54.44, 52 Jenny Odgers 1.55.28, 53 Christine Arnold 1.56.04, 54 Jenny Sawkins 1.57.34, 55 Julie Tzvetcoff 1.57.48, 56 Alice Scott-Larocca 2.01.39, 57 Kylie Martens 2.02.00, 58 Sally Clements 2.02.06, 59 Karen Shepherd 2.02.21, 60 Rilka Macainsh 2.06.24, 61 Veronica Longley 2.07.41.
16k bush walk: Males: 1 Steve Bradford 2.16.41, 2 Bill Fulton 2.50.18, 3 Chris Shepherd 2.50.40, 4 Nick Blackaby 2.52.08, 5 Mark Burness 3.16.10, 6 Hiten Ravani 3.26.08. Females: 1 Allison Campbell 2.00.47, 2 Kate Clayton 2.41.37, 3 Adrienne Nicotra 2.44.20, 4 Tara Sutherland 2.44.20, 5 Eliza Thorn 2.49.19, 6 Tiffany Lynch 2.49.20, 7 Colleen Fulton 2.50.18, 8 Heather Burness 3.16.09, 9 Anny Kwok 3.26.07.
25k: 1 Jeffrey Glick 1.41.18, 2 David Hosking 1.43.02, 3 Jeremy Ross 1.47.59, 4 Nick Mesher 1.48.47, 5 Christopher Aitchison 1.51.09, 6 Travis Haslam 1.51.35, 7 Bruce Luckham 1.52.20, 8 Hugh Jorgensen 1.53.39, 9 Richard Faulks 1.53.48, 10 Bob Harlow 1.55.24, 11 Anthony Olliffe 1.55.49, 12 Steve Appleby 1.57.50, 13 Gordon McGurk 1.59.37, 14 Jason Chalker 2.01.06, 15 Peter Fogarty 2.01.47, 16 Ric Leahy 2.03.30, 17 Alex Kearns 2.05.42, 18 Mark Everton 2.07.32, 19 Wayne Strudwick 2.07.46, 20 Reece Turner 2.15.22, 21 Doug Taupin 2.18.46, 22 Peter Strudwick 2.45.09, 23 Craig Strudwick 2.45.09, 24 Adam Robinson 2.46.45, 25 Christopher Aitchison 3.06.07, 26 John Suiter 3.09.45. Females: 1 Christine Pauling 2.03.45, 2 Sue Archer 2.06.44, 3 Kerrie Bremner 2.07.14, 4 Cathy Newman 2.07.21, 5 Liza Martini 2.14.52, 6 Emma Adams 2.15.52, 7 Katherine Fergus 2.20.37, 8 Ailsa McPherson 2.27.27, 9 Pamela Faulks 2.42.11, 10 Carol Robinson 2.46.45, 11 Lorraine Allen 2.49.11, 12 Amanda Bisa 2.58.07, 13 Carolyne Kramar 3.04.03.
25k bush walk: Males: 1 Colin Neave 3.08.17, 2 Gavan McCormack 3.58.02. Females: 1 Susan Williams 4.30.21, 2 Ayesha Razzaq 4.30.21, 3 Rebecca Edwards 4.30.21.
42k marathon: 1 Perry Blackmore 3.05.15 (record), 2 Trevor Fairhurst 3.07.07, 3 Martin Boyd 3.14.12, 4 Andrew Johnson 3.37.58, 5 Peter Clarke 3.42.12, 6 Warren Day 3.43.04, 7 Matt Hegarty 3.43.31, 8 Jono Lineen 3.44.17, 9 Stephen Hanlon 3.44.38, 10 Chris Wilson 3.53.10, 11 Ken Mansell 3.59.54, 12 Rick Patzold 4.06.20, 13 David Styles 4.08.11, 14 Robert Ey 4.11.53, 15 Roger Pilkington 4.11.53, 16 Roger Batch 4.17.43, 17 Stephen Grant 4.25.13, 18 Dave Hromow 4.27.46, 19 Gary Pattrick 4.44.16, 20 Graham Spokes 4.50.26, 21 Ludwig Herpich 5.06.27, 22 Matthew Hole 5.13.45, 23 Don Anton 5.52.45, 24 Peter Gray 7.47.47. Females: 1 Vanessa Haverd 3.47.56, 2 Annabel Martin 3.54.37, 3 Leanne Wilkinson 3.55.41, 4 Anna Thompson 4.16.27, 5 Jill Reich 4.45.10, 6 Helen McAuley 5.42.20, 7 Kay Pendlebury 5.42.20, 8 Julie Colbran 5.58.00, 9 Pieta van de Ven 6.06.21.
42k marathon relay: 1 For a few chingones more 3.35.42, 2 Calver's Cavalry 3.48.08, 3 HTTF 3.49.49, 4 The good, the bad and the chingones 3.57.37.
60k ultra: Males: 1 David Singleton 4.24.03, 2 Adrian Sheppard 4.46.06, 3 David Baldwin 4.55.41, 4 Paul Veldkamp 4.57.44, 5 John Mergler 5.13.49, 6 Steven Martin 5.33.49, 7 Paul Every 5.51.03, 8 Sean Greenhill 6.11.30, 9 Michael Corlis 6.16.55, 10 Robert Boyce 6.38.35, 11 Billy Pearce 6.47.49, 12 Dominic Sullivan 6.47.49, 13 Mario Larocca 6.57.40, 14 Louis Commins 7.04.18. Females: 1 Julie Quinn 5.20.36, 2 Wendy Stevenson 5.56.22, 3 Carol Baird 6.36.32.

Jaggad Bush Capital Bush Marathon Newsletter

Jaggad Bush Capital Bush Marathon Newsletter

Thank you for entering one of the events this Saturday.
Further information:1. Weather forecast: looking good. But bring a towel and change of clothes in case there is rain.Thursday Few showers. Min 3 Max 14
Friday Becoming fine. Min 2 Max 13
Saturday Mostly fine. Min 2 Max 13
Sunday Fine. Min 0 Max 14
2. Race timetable7.30am Early bird start for slow runners in 60km ultra and 42km marathon8.30am Bush marathon; marathon relay; 60km ultra; 25km bush walk9.00am 16km and 25km bush runs and 16km bush walk9.15am
5km runSlower runners in the marathon and 60kms should please start at 7.30am, otherwise you may run into problems with daylight late in the afternoon if the weather is overcast. And it will be unfair on the volunteer race helpers manning drink stations out on the far reaches of the course.
3. Chest numbers
Everyone needs a chest number which should be worn on the front of chest or shorts or pants and clearly visible for recording when you finish. You can collect your chest number and a flier on Jaggad products from the Runners Shop on Friday between 4pm and 7pm or on Saturday 45 minutes or more before your race start to ensure that there is no delay to the starts. While in the Runners Shop, please check out the range of high quality Jaggad gear and Brian's excellent prices on shoes. http://www.therunnersshop.com.au/
4. Parking
There is an orienteering event also at Campbell High School on Saturday, adjacent to the main school carpark. Please leave some car parking for the orienteers and try and park in Treloar Crescent, in the CSIRO car park immediately to the north of the school, and around Reid Oval which is diagonally across Limestone Avenue from the start line on Campbell High oval. See the map on the website "http://www.mountainrunning.coolrunning.com.au/
events/bmarathon/2006/"
5. Toilets and showers
There will be three portaloos near the start/finish and toilets and showers in the high school male and female change rooms on the far side of the oval. Bags can be left in the high school gymnasium.
6. Mud
Last year competitors walked up the stairs into the gymnasium and left a lot of mud on the carpet. Please take your shoes off before going inside the school building. Otherwise we will have a big cleaning bill.
7. Orienteering event on the eastern side of the school
You are most welcome to participate if you have some energy left after doing your 5kms, 16kms or 25kms. Start times are from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Courses range from very difficult to moderate navigation.
8. Start lists
You can see a full list of who has entered on the website. http://www.mountainrunning.coolrunning.com.au/
events/bmarathon/2006/9.
Cafe2UA mobile cafE9 service will be available from 9.30am selling coffee and other hot drinks and cakes.
10. Finish line refreshments
Cakes, biscuits and soft drinks will also be available near the finish line.
11. Finishing
You will be handed your race mug and a discount massage voucher as you cross the finish line. The discount vouchers are for Clinic88 at Belconnen.Clinic88 is a sports friendly rehabilitation clinic offering a hands on approach to your musculoskeletal health. Soft Tissue Therapy utilises a number of hands on techniques to deal with, or rehabilitate you from your aches, pains and injuries. Combined with mobility stretches and stability exercises, soft tissue therapy offers a rounded treatment option. Our Exercise Science graduates compliment this process by taking you through a rehab program specifically designed to have you back in action. For more information about our services or to make an appointment visit www.clinic88.com.au
Address: Shop 1, 34-42 Cohen Street Belconnen, 2615 Phone: 02 6253 2388
12. Presentations of awards
Presentation of the Jaggad awards to the top three males and females in each event will be made as soon as all competitors are finished.
13. Course marking
The main form of course marking will be red signs with black arrows, although there will also be larger fluoro signs, witches hats and red, black and white striped tape.Most of the course is on main management trails.
14. Course descriptions
5km course: out and back from Campbell High School.
16km course: a circuit around Mt Ainslie, along the eastern slopes on the way out, returning along the western slopes.
25km course: this follows the 16km course until the 11.2km drink station at Mackenzie Street, Hackett. It then goes out and back to the drink station at the Federal Highway underpass at the north-western end of Mt Majura reserve. On returning to the Mackenzie Street drink station, the 25km course follows the 16km course back along the western side of Mt Ainslie to the finish at Campbell High school.
42.2km marathon course: This is the same as the 25km course, with the addition of an out and back section across Horse Park Drive and through Mulligans Flat and Goorooyarroo nature reserves to the 24.5km point. Runners should take care crossing Horse Park Drive both ways as this is an 80 km per hour major road.
60km ultra course: Same as the marathon with the addition of an out and back circuit through Mulligans Flat nature reserve to the 33.4km point.
Marathon relayLegs: 11.2kms, 5.8kms, 15.0kms, 10.2kms. The 1st leg change over is at he drink station at Mackenzie Street, Hackett. The 2nd leg change-over is just after runners cross Horse Park Drive, at the entrance gate to Goorooyarroo Nature reserve. This is also the 3rd leg change-over, as 3rd leg runners will run out and back from this point to the marathon turn-around point. The 4th leg finishes back at Campbell High School, following the marathon course.
15. Can you change distances?
For example, you have entered the marathon and feel crook on the day so decide to head back after 11kms and just finish the 16kms. Yes, you can do this but you must tell the finish recorder what you have done so that the right adjustments can be made to the results.
16. More than 250 runners and walkers will be contesting this Saturday's second annual Jaggad Bush Capital Bush Marathon Festival at Campbell High School. In addition to 16km and 25km bush walks, running events in Mt Ainslie, Mt Majura, Goorooyarroo and Mulligans Flat nature reserves range from 5km and 16kms to 25kms, 42kms and 60kms.
Media release
More than 250 runners and walkers will be contesting this Saturday's second annual Jaggad Bush Capital Bush Marathon Festival at Campbell High School. In addition to 16km and 25km bush walks, running events in Mt Ainslie, Mt Majura, Goorooyarroo and Mulligans Flat nature reserves range from 5km and 16kms to 25kms, 42kms and 60kms.Favourites for the 60km ultra distance run are world rogaining champions David Baldwin and Julie Quinn who are using the run as part of their preparations for this year's 24 hour World Rogaining Championship near Coonabarabran on 13th October. Baldwin is expected to be pressed by fellow rogaining star Dave Singleton who had a scintillating run in March in the Six Foot Track 45kms.In the 42km marathon, Trevor Fairhurst, Martin Boyd and Peter Clarke are the strongest contenders among the men and Leanne Wilkinson, Anna Thompson and Kay Pendlebury among the women.Mark Everton from Wollongong is a likely winner of the 25kms. Allison Campbell, Kerrie Bremner and Chris Pauling are the strongest runners on form in the women's field.The 16km run is the most popular event with 100 entrants. Four time Australian mountain running representative Fiona Jorgensen and Australian duathlon representative Vicki Godfrey are the stand out competitors in the women's field, while Australian road running representative Anthony Haber should threaten the course record held by mountain running international John Winsbury.Former Canberra marathon superstar Colin Neave is not running these days and so is tackling the 25km bush walk.The Bush Marathon Festival is the major fund raising event held each year to support the Australian mountain running team which will be contesting world championships in the USA and Turkey in August and September. World champion Emma Murray will be among the Australian team members looking after refreshment stations on the course. Late entries are being accepted at the Runners Shop on Friday afternoon between 4pm and 7pm and on race day from 7am at Campbell High School.

John HardingRace Director

60km ultra run (time limit 9hrs; finish cut off 4.30pm)
42.2km marathon run (time limit 7 hrs 30mins; finish cut off 4pm)
25km run (time limit 5 hrs; finish cut off 2pm)
25km bush walk (time limit 7 hrs 30mins; finish cut off 4pm)
16km run (time limit 3hrs; finish cut off 12 noon)
16km bush walk (time limit 5 hrs; finish cut off 2pm)
5km run (time limit 75 mins; finish cut off 11am)
Age limits:Minimum age of 18 years for the marathon and ultra, and of 16 years for the 25km events.
-----------------------------
Footnote - Martin Dent entered the 16km event later in the week.
Philo Saunders is also a late entry.

Lake Ginninderra Handicap

This event was conducted today in what earlier looked like we were to have rather heavy rain all the way.
It was not to be as the day progressed with rain or showers; and trying to make it's way through the clouds, was the sun, which nearly succeeded, but then gave up it's efforts and retreated back behind the clouds, leaving light rain dominating the day towards the end of the run.

In any case, a good field of runners took off on the slightly shortened course, due to building work on the lakefront, which has been continuing for several months now.

Mark Juddery won the trophy, with Peter Dunnett coming second and running a personal best, and Simon Wall coming third, Simon travelled from Woden Offices to compete at Lake Ginninderra.

Two Geoffs were there, Barker and Moore, Flashdrake and Friar ran, and Tiffany took away one of the many barrel draw prizes.

Two new starters won barrel draws, and three walkers competed.

Then the rain scattered everyone, including Flashduck, who today was a spectator.

Until Next Time.

Winner Was Tenth Placed

After 129 runs since his last win, Kevin Chapman had his fourth win at the BBQ Stakes on Wednesday 19th July 2006.

He was eased by 15 seconds after the previous week, and just beat home a fast finishing Peter Clarke.

Friar had another good run, after running on Monday and Tuesday, he must revel in a heavy running schedule. It was however 10 seconds slower than two weeks prior when he ran 36:04, and faster than his 36:52 of the previous week.

His warm up didn't feel too good, because it was into a fairly strongish headwind, and there was a twinge from his right hip joint.

A good field of nearly 59 runners participated with Simon Wall receiving the Pizza Voucher from Sponsor "Dominos".

Until next Time

Got back To Running On Monday

After Saturday being too wet, and Sunday saying farewell to ARI, and then going to spectate at Black Mountain Peninsula, which meant that I didn't get to run, I ran on Monday.

With two weeks to the Bush capital Marathon, where I'll be doing the 16km event, the need was for a longish run, and that's what happened.

Early in the morning, 9:00am, some might say that's late, headed for the bike tracks towards Woden, but through the suburbs past the old holder High School, and via Weston, and up to the top of Oakey Hill, where I could see that the top of Mt Taylor was still shrouded in mist or fog.

Ran onto the lower slopes of Mt Taylor, then returned via the southern side tracks of Hindmarsh Drive, past Holder Primary where a new fence was being put in, and they had bulldozed a meter wide piece of dirt. So what did this old fella do? Well he decided to run along the dirt which happened to still be slightly wet from the rain, and he went around a curve, and slipped, getting covered in mud. Some old fogies never learn.

Finished the run about 10:30 am, by then the sun had emerged, and the washing went on the line.

However, the afternoon saw more rain and the washing got dried in front of the heater.

Now, come Tuesday morning the sun is again out, so more washing will be done, and today is the Black Mountain Gut Buster Run Up.

Until Next Time

Guess What's for Dinner ??

Ari checked out the pot for size to see if it was big enough to cook the meal he was anticipating!!

Ari heard how cold it is in Canberra and wanted to experience for himself the colder parts of Australia compared to the perfect conditions in Queensland.

He had an almost perfect week in Canberra when the day temperatures were in the 12 - 14 degree range, and the minimums were something like 3 - 4 degrees.

However the minus 5 degrees of yesterday was a bit hard to take.

He has been an excellent guest, and has not complained much.

Occasionally he gets a bit grumpy, but mosly when he is happy, he gurgles away, and dribbles a bit.

He has however said he wants the warmer weather again, so is returning to perfect Queensland this coming sunday.

He also wanted to visit for Nana's birthday, and gave her a card for the occasion.

Next visit might be September and then January.
However the scheduling is flexible.

Until Next Time.

Longstaff 8km, Pennington 12km, at Weston Park

These annual races were conducted on a well established course at Weston Park in Yarralumla.

The Longstaff 8km trophy was awarded to/won by Jenny Bricachek, and the Pennington trophy was awarded to/ won by Mark Bourne.

The course was 4km in length, so the race was over 2 laps and 3 laps respectively, both events starting at 1:00pm.

A junior race over 4km started at 12:15pm, while a 1km event attracted 11 starters/finishers at 12 noon.

FRIAR ran the 8km event for veteran Men 60+ , and ran with Nick, who carried on for an extra lap, since he is a deal younger.The 8km attracted 31 runners, the 12km attracted 50 runners.

Until Next Time

Bouncing Back

After the Googong Dam Half Marathon at the weekend, and the run up Mt Ainslie on Tuesday, Rad bounced back for a win in the BBQ Stakes event today.

Friar came second and second in the retired team, and Lloyd Edwards came in third to clinch the win for the Retired team in today's event. (Lloyd organises the Lakes Stakes by and around Lake Tuggeraning each Tuesday commencing near the HIC at 12:30 pm.)

Each of the team won a voucher from The Runners Shop, thanks to the sponsorship by Brian Wenn.

The third member of the team keeps the trophy for one month, when it is again up for grabs" on the first Wednesday of each month, when the stakes is run anti-clockwise.

Friar's time was one of his fastest for about six months.

Until Next Time.

Fact or Fiction ?

J.K. Rowling has dropped the hint - the wizard may expire. How will this affect those who live in Potterland? John Elder finds out.

"I have never been tempted to kill him off before the final book because I've always planned seven books, and I want to finish on seven books. I can completely understand, however, the mentality of an author who thinks, 'Well, I'm gonna kill them off because that means there can be no non-author-written sequels. So it will end with me, and after I'm dead and gone they won't be able to bring back the character' " - J. K. Rowling, in the interview this week that has put the world on Potter watch.

Harry Potter will die as an act of self-sacrifice in one last terrible battle with the evil Voldemort. At least, that's how fans and critics are interpreting J. K. Rowling's strongest suggestion so far that she's killing off the golden boy who made her a billionaire.
There are different reasons why the main character in a series has to die. As Rowling noted: Agatha Christie killed off Hercule Poirot so no one could steal the character for a new series of stories once the old girl herself had gone to God. Arthur Conan Doyle sent Sherlock Holmes over a waterfall because he'd come to hate his creation - only to resurrect him because of public outcry. Dickens killed off Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop for the same reason he wrote anything - to push his readers' emotional buttons. In that case, many of them hated him for it.
Rowling, likewise, stands to upset millions of fans if she murders her hero. But in a survey of critics, fans, booksellers, churches and family groups, The Sunday Age has found there are many reasons why the four-eyed wally with a wand needs to be magically evaporated.
"And not too soon for my liking, for the sake of our kids," says Peter Stokes, founder of Salt Shakers, a Christian ministry that deals in spiritual issues such as the power of Satan. "We're concerned with any promotion of witchcraft or paganism, especially to our children. There's no doubt this book has done wonders for getting children interested in spells ... and these things aren't harmless. We've had many stories of people being adversely affected by reading Harry Potter ... nightmares, severe spiritual attacks."

Angela Conway, of the Australian Family Association, says Harry's death has potential as an educational event for child readers: "If there's an ending like that, they'll find it quite sad. But it can be quite valuable for children to deal with death and sacrificial love and laying down your life for your friends."

Mark Rubbo, owner of Readings and former judge of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, sees a dead Harry making a happier ending, of sorts: "I think an old and decrepit Harry Potter would be disappointing. So why not finish him off while he's young and vibrant. Like James Dean. Live fast, die young and leave a pretty corpse."

From a literary point of view, Rubbo says: "It'd be hard to sustain that character into adult life ... One of the charms is his youthful exuberance and naivety. An adult Harry Potter would lose that. You'd have to weave a more complex life. Failed marriages. Probably a drug habit."
Will Harry die as a cultural mainstay? "He'll probably disappear for a generation and another generation will discover him."

Mark Macleod, president of the Children's Book Council of Australia, says Harry needs to die "so we can read some other titles in the top 10 bestsellers list. The whole thing has become a numbers game for a lot of people, and that's a big turn-off. This constant promotion of Harry Potter as the only children's book is very irritating."
Macleod called the Potter cult "a mixed blessing. It's yet to be demonstrated that Harry Potter has boosted the sales of other children's authors. I think it has made some sellers sit up and take notice of children's books. And it's made it easier for fantasy authors to get published. But I think everybody is over it. So yes, please, let's have the end of it. Roald Dahl has been dead for how many years and they keep pulling things out of the bottom drawer. We're desperately hoping that there aren't any prequels or sequels."
In other words: die, Harry, die.

Shannon Meilak feels the same way - and she's a Potter fan. The sort of fan who dresses as a wizard and seeks the company of like-minded folk. The organiser of Melbourne's Harry Potter meet-up group, Meilak says Harry needs to die - in a final battle against the master of Dark Arts, Lord Voldemort - for the sake of the series staying true to itself.
"My personal opinion is that a child of his age . . . wouldn't be likely to survive against someone who has been so powerful over the years. Other talented wizards and witches have died because of Voldemort. Why would this 17-year-old kid be able to survive? I know we're talking about a fantasy book, but some things have to be realistic."
It's also worth noting that Harry isn't Shannon Meilak's favourite character in the series. "I won't be distressed. But it will be a little upsetting."

The Harry Potter meet-up group, numbering 69 members aged 12 to 55, gathers once a month for lunch. And to discuss current issues. Such as Harry's chances of marrying his girlfriend Ginny and settling down to a nice quiet life of conjuring. "The group is split down the middle. Half wants Harry to die, the other half wants him to live," says Meilak, who has just returned from a tour of Potter sites in Europe.
Group member and IT worker Jennifer Paschal sits on the fence. "On the one hand, Rowling draws from mythology and classic literature and the heroes eventually die in those stories. And in a way it's the logical conclusion. But her audience are children and everyone will be upset. I can't see her doing something so cruel."
Business analyst and group member Caroline Gachon believes "he'll live on in some form or another. Throughout the books, death is not an absolute. People do live on in legends or portraits or ghosts. Most of me wants him to live, but part of me is ready to handle it if he dies. The best reason to kill him off is as a form of self-sacrifice. His mother sacrificed herself for him."
For some fans, noble reasons are no consolation.
Kirsty Forster, 16, says: "I don't want to read (Harry dying) and I don't want to see it on screen. He's a childhood memory." Isabel Prior, 11, has read the Potter books six times each. Killing Harry, she says, would render her devotion "a pointless experience".

Source:-
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/07/01/1151174439285.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
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I hope not.
Until Next Time

Googong Dam Off Road Half Marathon

Well in keeping with the half theme, I'm half b*****ed now it's over.

Others such as Flashduck, Ali, Strewth, CJ have adequately described the run and the course on their blogsites http://akiruns.blogspot.com/, http://flashduck.blogspot.com/, http://froggie61.blogspot.com/, http://baussmann2.blogspot.com/.

There were certainly plenty of ups and downs, and a fairly "in your face" wind on the way out, and helping a bit on the way back.

That's the slowest half marathon, I've "run", pardon the "run" word because some of the hilly bits were walked.

I have run the Cotter so many times without walking, but the Googong hills were more of a challenge, because they were spaced reasonably close.

After the first 2/3km, I was thinking maybe to come out again in a couple of months time to do a training run. But after the umpteenth hill, that thought was dispensed to the too hard basket.

Getting back was also a bit of a trial due to developing sore feet, on the outside right of the bottom of my right foot, so I retied the shoelaces which helped somewhat, but it was still a struggle to get to the finish.

Having started in the earlier group, it was great to see almost everyone in the 1:00pm start group pass, and continue on their way, and to see the changes in position from when they went out, to when they were coming back.

The drink station volunteers did a great job, and looked after us all, drink stations were at the 5km, and at the turn around.

The quads are now recovering so this weekend events at Weston Park should be easier, The "Pennington and Longstaff" annual ACT Cross Country Club runs on Saturday.

Until Next Time