Marathon Effort
Volume 11, No. 47, July 13, 2006
By Barry Rollings

Thirsty work: In a fluid state after the running of the ADF Marathon are, from left: Cpl Wayne Heath, third in the open men’s section; WO2 Richard Quirk, first veteran in a record 2hr 42min and 58sec; and Sgt Mat Skate, second men’s open. Photo by Jason Weeding.

ARMY’S Sgt Eliza Mayger continues to make her name synonymous with marathons after winning the ADF Marathon in a record 2hr 52min and 32sec and finishing seventh overall on the Gold Coast on July 2.

Running in her fifth marathon in difficult circumstances, she took her second successive ADF title after winning the ADF Half Marathon in Brisbane in April, in a record 1hr 23min and 52sec.

Sgt Mayger, who works for the Army Financial Services Unit Northern Regional Detachment at Larrakeyah Barracks in Darwin, bettered by more than 2 minutes the long-standing record of 2:54.37 set by Capt Tracey Dobie (Army) in the 1988 Anzac Day Marathon.

Leading into her Gold Coast triumph, she also won the 12.7km Darwin City to Surf event on June 17 in 47min 39.80sec.

Not only did Sgt Mayger have to battle the physical and psychological demons associated with a gruelling 42km run, her father Barry Mayger, who had been in ill health for some time, had died on the Friday night before the event.

“It was his wish that I run the ADF Marathon and then come to visit him in Adelaide,” Sgt Mayger said.

“He was hoping to stay alive until after the marathon but I took an unscheduled compassionate trip to visit him in Adelaide on the Thursday night before flying back to the Gold Coast.

“It was a very difficult race and day for me because of my father’s death and I dedicated the run – and the victory – to my dad.”

She won comfortably after setting a fast pace from the outset on what she described as a “very scenic and wonderfully flat” course.

In the men’s event Army filled the minor placings behind Flt-Lt Richard Gardiner, who won in 2hr 35min and 53sec from Sgt Mat Skate (2:39.10) and Cpl Wayne Heath (2:42.18).

Army made it a trifecta in the women’s event with Capt Alicia Irving second (3:44.17) and Lt Tamyka Bell third (3:52.11), with Maj-Gen Richard Irving and son Lt Miles Irving making it an Irving family affair by also competing.

WO2 Richard Quirk won the veteran men’s section in a record 2:42.58 and Army filled all placings in the men’s Masters event. Maj Greg Barrowcliff won in 2:54.06 from Maj Jeff Rudd in 2:54.58 and Pte Gordon Gray in 3:27.52.