XCR24 Rd 5: 2024 Sandown Road Relays

JUNIORS PUSH FOR GRID SPOTS AT SANDOWN

The Diamond Valley Athletic Club sent 14 teams out to the Start line of the 2024 AV Road Relay Championships with each of the 44 athletes (14 Female and 30 Male) out to log their fastest lap time for the 3.1km or 6.2km distances. With the DVAC juniors making up 50% of the club’s athletes at Sandown there was considerable analysis of the figures after each run. Despite the inclement weather conditions many of the athletes returned to the Grandstand area to dry out and reflect with some satisfaction on their achievements.

The Open Women’s Division 2 team finished in 2^nd position to claim their best result for the season. The team was led out by Shania Murray who handed over to the next runner in second position after completing her 6.2km leg in 22:15. The team was completed by juniors, Ally Brooks (U18), 22:23, Erin Maloney (U20), 24:40, and Ella Littlehales (U18), 28:53, who managed to hold on to second position. The team had stayed under 4min per km pace for the 24.8km journey.

The Men’s Division 2 team were holding a strong position before having to complete their day one runner short of the required six. Caden Murray had got the team away with a fast split of 19:24 before handing over to U18 athlete, Cameron Ellis, who gave nothing away with a 6.2km split of 20:37. Charles Jacobson clipped 48 seconds off his time at Sandown from 2023 when he came in at 22:12. Joel Imbriano, U20, bettered his pace for the 3.1km last year, when he completed the two laps this year in 21:15. The final runner for the DVAC team, James Telford, dropped 36 seconds from his 2023 time when he clocked 21:47 for the 6.2km. The 5 runners had completed 31km in 1:45:15 at an average of 3’23” per km.

The DVAC Female U16 team finished the Road Relays in 4^th position but the valuable points earned with their efforts will keep the team on top of the season ladder. Rose Jarvis completed the first 3.1km leg in 11:02 (3’33”/km) to give her the 3^rd quickest run for the 39 FU16 runners at Sandown. Grace Robinson, 12:31, and Lucy Johns, 13:07, held off the two chasing teams that came over the line within 10 seconds after the Valley team.

Ethan Armstrong-Bourne (U18) led his team off with a 3.1km lap in 9:51 to lower his previous best time on the Super Car track by 14 seconds and log in at 11^th of the 39 MU18 runners. Patrick Knight, 10:26, and Glen Imbriano, 11:33, brought the three member team in at 11^th of the 13 teams in a hotly contested division.

DVAC fielded three MU16 teams for the first time this season. Brodie Batt, 10:23, and Nicholas Tomkins, 10:25, led the DVAC times for the MU16 and came in at 14^th & 15^th fastest out of the 55 MU16 runners. Their team, along with William Quigley, 11:00, finished 6^th out of the 20 teams. The two other DVAC teams in the MU16 Division finished in 14^th and 15^th position out of the 20 teams.

The DVAC M60+ team of Peter Ramsay, 26:18, Martin Murray, 31:16, and Lyal Douglas, 31:42, finished 8^th out of the 11 teams in their division.

Blake Barnes, MOpen, had seen plenty of the Sandown venue before running a leg in the DVAC Division 5 team. Competing in a Duathlon at the venue earlier in the day, Blake had come off his bike and sustained considerable injuries. When he still ran a pb time of 21:21 for his 6.2km leg, Blake’s pain gave way to pleasure. In the same team were Craig Cassidy, 24:32, who had also competed in the Duathlon, T20 athlete, Jordan Rudd, 25:23, and Jarryd Cripps, 22:57. The team placed 14^th.

Thanks go to David Armstrong & Angela Hennel for delivering a fabulous Lemon Cake for the hungry Valley athletes as well as all others who contributed to the food offerings.

Thanks to Lyn Davis and Max Balchin for filling the DVAC Club Helper roles at Sandown.

Thanks to Maryann Murray for photos & Facebook entry.

XCR’24 Rd 5: Sandown Road Relays

Saturday 29 June 2024

Sandown Racecourse:

DVAC Results:

Female Open Division 2:
4x6.2km: (Shania Murray: 22:15, Ally Brooks: 22:23, Erin Maloney: 24:40, Ella Littlehales: 28:53) 1:38:11;

Team Result: 2^nd/ 11 Teams

Female Open Division 4:
3x6.2km: (Kate Ryan: 31:29, Elyse Littlejohn: 40:09, Sarah Papadopoulos: 37:01) 1:48:39;

Team Result: 7^th/ 7 Teams

Female 18
3x3.1km: (Georgia L'Estrange: 12:12) 12:12;
Team Result: 14^th/ 14 Teams

Female 16
3x3.1km: (Rose Jarvis: 11:02, Grace Robinson: 12:31, Lucy Johns: 13:07) 36:40;
Team Result: 4^th/ 9 Teams

Female 50
3x6.2km: (Michelle King: 34:08, Debbie McKenzie: 29:25, Jo Moxon: 32:49) 1:36:22;
Team Result: 7^th/ 12 Teams

Male Open Division 2:
6x6.2km: (Caden Murray: 19:24, Cameron Ellis: 20:37, Charles Jacobson: 22:12, Joel Imbriano: 21:15, James Telford: 21:47, Michael Martello) 1:45:15;

Team Result: 7^th/ 12 Teams

Male Open Division 5:
4x6.2km: (Jarryd Cripps: 22:57, Jordan Rudd: 25:23, Blake Barnes: 21:21, Craig Cassidy: 24:32) 1:34:13;

Team Result: 14^th/ 14 Teams

Male Open Division 7:

4x6.2km: (Aaron Bourne: 26:15, Jesse Littlehales: 30:19, Paul Schofield: 29:26) 1:26:00;
Team Result: 11^th/ 16 Teams

Male 18
3x3.1km: (Ethan Armstrong-Bourne: 09:51, Patrick Knight: 10:26, Glen Imbriano: 11:33) 31:50;
Team Result: 11^th/ 13 Teams

Male 16
3x3.1km: (Brodie Batt: 10:23, William Quigley: 11:00, Nicholas Tomkins: 10:25) 31:48;

Team Result: 6^th/ 20 Teams

Male 16
3x3.1km: (Jack Daley: 11:31, Matthew Layton: 13:34, Alexander Tomkins: 11:32) 36:37;

Team Result: 14^th/ 20 Teams

Male 16
3x3.1km:

(Felix Morgan: 12:04, Logan Armstrong-Bourne: 12:13, Alexander Dewar: 12:27) 36:44;
Team Result: 15^th/ 20 Teams

Male 50
3x6.2km: (Brett Maloney: 28:19, Andrew McKenzie: 27:41, Greg Luck: 35:43) 1:31:43;
Team Result: 17^th/ 18 Teams

Male 60
3x6.2km: (Peter Ramsay: 26:18, Martin Murray: 31:16, Lyal Douglas: 31:42) 1:29:16;

Team Result: 8^th/ 11 Teams