Round 5 XCR’15:Albert Park Road Race

A large contingent of MUAC athletes was amongst the 1000+ racers flying around Albert Park on Sunday, 28th June for the Albert Park Road Race. MUAC’s six teams across the open divisions and MUAC’s junior athletes performed admirably with some stand out performances coming from Georgia Griffith and Nick Earl.

Griffith continues her fine winter season, collecting another Victorian Championship in the 3km Road Race, running 9:47.5 and taking a clear lead on the U20 Women’s Winter Athlete ladder. DrNick Earl, MUAC’s Senior Forecaster, took advantage of the fine conditions he’d predicted would prevail, to finish in fourth place running 30:11.2, a personal best. Earl combined with Zac Newman, Charlie Park, Tony Orth, Hamish Beaumont and David Paroissien to take MUAC’s Premier Men’s team to sixth place with 363 points. MUAC sits in third place on the Premier Mens ladder at the halfway point of the season. Amanda Paulin fitted training and racing into the Sunday morning, making the 10km event part of her long run, joining MUAC Winter Captain Al Bryant Smith, Aislinn Prendergast, Annie Carter and Gen Blanch to claim sixth place for the club in the elite division with 270 points. MUAC’s Premier Women sit in fourth place on the ladder with five rounds remaining in the season.  Fred Smithers ran an impressive 10km of 34:10 to be top 20 in the U20 men’s race. MUAC’s Division Three Women took 6th place, the Division Two Men, 12th, Division Three Men 9th and Division Five Men 6th. Congratulations to MUAC debutants Matt Hallowes and Ben Burgess on their strong start to their MUAC running careers. David Paroissien wins the Kirwan Shiny Pants for getting beaten two races in a row by Hamish. A big thanks to the support from the MUAC tifosi: Hugo, Bron (especially dedicated for coming out on her birthday), the painkiller fuelled Sarah, Paul and Anna, Ma and Pa Blanch and more.

Results

MUAC athletes retired to the Carousel Cafe for lashings of coffee and brunch, and esoteric discussions of race tactics and world affairs.

MUAC will be back in action for Round 6 of XCR’15, the Sandown Road Relays, 50 years after it’s debut on the Victorian athletics calendar.