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Rapid
runs at City to Surf
Fun run unearths serious talent
By SGT Rob Combe
THE
recently conducted Sydney City to Surf has unearthed some of the
most promising running talent seen in the ADF for some time.
In a field of about 49,000 competitors, 45 runners from the ADF
Running and Athletics Association made the 14km journey from Sydney
to Bondi, taking out a number of individual and team categories.
In her first race outside of Townsville, 20-year-old Private Rhiannon
Brown (3 CSSB) finished 7th female outright and won her age group
by more than five minutes. Her finish time of 53 min 11 secs was
the fastest ever by an ADF female and indicates she has the potential
for state and national representation.
In the men’s category, Captain Kev Laws (1 HSB) ran an excellent
time of 47.11 to finish in 40th position overall.
But again it was a younger runner who stood out. Able Seaman Stuart
Chellis (HMAS Kuttabul) held off a fast-finishing Corporal Wayne
Heath (1 HSB) to be the second ADF runner home in 49.08 and 67th
place overall.
AB Chellis has been promising a big performance for some time
and took some of the more fancied runners by surprise with this
outstanding performance.
In
the team categories, ADF athletes combined to take three firsts,
three seconds and a third place as listed below:
-
ADF Gunners: First government departments (Wayne Heath 49.23,
Jeremy Ross 49.45, Richard Quirk 51.46)
- ADF
Meteors: First husband and wife over 35 (Bruce Hem, 57.48 and
Jo-Anne Hem, 63.41)
- ADF
Defenders: First uniformed services, (Jeff Rayner, 53.44, Frank
Kresse, 55.32, Pat Thomas, 56.20)
- ADF
Crusaders: Third uniformed services, (Daryl Hunter, 63.17, Jeffrey
Leeke, 65.05, Nigel Thompson, 66.18)
- ADF
Cheetahs: Second women’s sporting clubs (Kate Elphick, 74.17,
Kate Fox, 81.52, Jessica Rodda, 87.54)
- ADF
Striders: Second athletic clubs (Wayne Hale, 52.50, Rhiannon Brown,
53.11, Michael Hutchesson, 65.41)
- ADF
Old Salts: Second veterans (Rob Combe, 49.36, Warren Matulick,
52.23, Andy Horsburgh 53.08)
With
PTE Brown winning her age category and Sergeant Rob Combe finishing
third in the individual veteran category, ADF had a very successful
day.
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