MUAC shines under lights at Lakeside
Vic Milers Club Meet 1 and Rare Air Club
The night was primed for fast racing and MUAC athletes delivered at Lakeside on Thursday night. The first Victorian Milers Club meet for the year saw 16 MUAC athletes amongst the 350 competitors racing over 800m and 3000m.
Stella Radford provided one of highlights of the night in the A 3000m. She struck out on her own midway through the race, chasing a fast time, only to be chased down and passed on the final lap by recently crowned Australian Marathon Champion Virginia Moloney (Collingwood). Radford was not dissuaded and fought back in the final 200m to take the win in 9:33.63. The Mens A 3000m saw another strong kick prove decisive as Martin Mashford delivered a blistering final lap to overhaul teammate Nick Earl to run 8:20.39 to Earl’s 8:21.80. Charlie Park’s B race win in 8:25.98 was very impressive, going off the front midway through the race and demonstrating that he would have been a fitting participant in the A race.
The 800m races were equally thrilling with the tone set in the first race of the evening. Tony and Simon Brain, bitter rivals, went head to head over two laps with Brain fils taking a substantial lead at the bell. Nervous moments were ahead for Brain pere until he made the pass at 200m to go. Ellen Schaef clocked her first NQ for the season with third in the A 800m. There were personal bests aplenty including James Maguire (1:59.12) and Sarah James (9:52.39).
Cath Macrae (2nd, 3.30m) and Ethan Wright (5th, 3.30m) took MUAC’s top places in the RAC comp.
Entries are now open for Meet 2 of VMC, to be held at Box Hill on December 20.