Sports

Records tumble at 10km
By Michael Brooke

Edition 1164, April 19, 2007
 
Record haul: Cpl Stephanie Hall broke her own ADF 10km Road Championship record by almost a minute and a half.
Photo by Michael Brooke
THE Australian Services Australian Football Association will sail into unchartered waters for the FLEET-footed Army runners dominated the Australian Defence 10km Road Championship held at Holsworthy Barracks – where new records were set in the five race categories.

Some 29 Army runners in a field of 38 competed in the championship that was held in perfect, sunny weather on March 30.

4RAR won the overall championship for Army, while Army runners also won the Women’s Open, Men’s Veteran and Women’s Veteran events.

The Army’s most outstanding performer was Cpl Stephanie Hall, who won the Women’s Open in a record time of 36.09, shattering the old benchmark of 37.32 which she set in 2006.

Cpl Hall cantered around the 10km course (four laps of the 2.4 km BFA course, and an additional 800m around HQ 5 Bde), to place seventh overall.

Her achievement was all the more impressive because her time was three minutes faster than the runner-up in the Women’s Open.

Cpl Hall, 33, attributed her success to lots of hard training and the breathing rhythm she has developed as a French-horn player with the Australian Army Band-Sydney.

“I have been running for seven years and breaking the ADF record I set last year is my best achievement,” she said.

Cpl Hall said her triumph gave her more confidence for the Arafura Games in Darwin this month, where she will compete in the 5000m and 10,000m events.

Pte Rhiannon Brown, AFG, placed second with a time of 39.12, which put her 14th overall.

Unfortunately, Army’s top runner, Cpl Dave Whitehead, 4RAR, was away on course and could not defend his title in the Men’s Open.

Cpl Whitehead’s record time of 33.00 was smashed by RAAF runner Flt-Lt Richard Gardiner, who clocked an impressive 31.58.

Army dominated the Men’s Veteran event through Cpl Andrew Baron, 1HSB, who placed first with 33.21, followed by Sgt Steve Shepherd, 4RAR, in a time of 36.23, and LCpl Carl Holmes, 5CSSB, who finished third in 40.16.

Army also scored a clean sweep in the Women’s Veterans event, with Maj Fiona King, ALTC, victorious in a time of 40.36, followed by Capt Jo-anne Hem, ALTC, in 41.58 and WO2 Maria Leetham, HQ 5 Bde, who clocked 50.48 for third place.

4RAR pipped 171 Avn Sqn and ALTC to win the Overall Championship, with Sgt Shepherd clocking 36.23, Sig Lisle 38.10, LCpl Hamel 38.10 and Cfn Miller 41.22

At the conclusion of the race, RAN Capt Andrew Whittaker, president of the Navy Running Association, presented the winners and place getters with their trophies.