XCR14 Round 1: Jells Park Relays

The lush Jells Park was lashed with wind and rain on Saturday, 3rd May as 41 MUAC athletes with volunteers, supporters and pets in tow raced the first round of the XCR14 season.  Spread across 9 teams, MUAC runners raced in teams of 3, 4, 5 or 6 over the 6km cross country course. 11 debutants provided the boost to enable MUAC to record the largest cohort to contest the opening round of winter in recent memory.

Top billing goes to the Division 5 Womens team who won their division by more than two mintues.  Clare Walsh, Isidora Stefanovic and Melissa Allan swept all before them to win in a time of 1:21:24.

MUAC’s Premier Women’s team of Amanda Paulin, Meg Stevenson, Stella Radford, Julie McNamara and Ellen Schaef took sixth place in the elite division in 1:59:00, whilst the MUAC Premier Men’s team led by Team Captain Mark Kirwan came 8th in 2:02:43.

The Division 3 Women’s team comprising Gen Blanch, Martine Botha, Kate Scarlett and Laura Constable, took to the hills with ease, claiming 6th place in 1:48:40.

Much post race discussion centred around the tough selections for MUAC’s teams in Divsions 2, 3 and 6 Men with many runners keen to upstage their teammates in higher divisions.

Many thanks must go to Mel Fayen and Ruth Mills for braving the cold and rain to be our volunteers for the day.

The team retired to the shelter of the MUAC marquee for a well earned afternoon tea and chat before a sodden return to the inner north.

MUAC’s winter team is back in action in two weeks for the Larnder Park XC.

Premier Women 6th 1:59:00
Div 3 Women 6th 1:48:40
Div 5 Women 1st 1:21:12

Premier Men 8th 2:02:43
Div 2 Men 9th 2:13:45
Div 3 Men 7th 1:52:28
Div 6 Men 3rd 1:34:00
Div 7 Men 2nd 1:35:11
Div 7 Men (2) 9th 1:53:20

Results