IT WAS a great role-up for the Griffith Joggers Shanks’ Pony Cup this year – the “funnest” run of the year – the final run of the year - and the field enjoyed excellent running conditions for the mystery course.
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Runners do not know in advance where they will run or how long the run will be, so to win the Cup, joggers need fast feet to beat the opposition, clear eyes to follow the freshly marked out mystery course, and lucky palms in the extra handicap/penalty draw at the finish line.
The draw played a major role with several high placed Joggers pulling five and ten minute extra handicaps to plummet in the placings.
The short course was the first to get to the finish as Jack Johns seemed to be doing it rather too easily, crossing the line well ahead, but then he drew a ten minute extra handicap to plummet to 32nd place - what fun we thought, but did Jack think so?
Erica Cunial crossed next and took the title thanks to a reasonable draw of thirty seconds, and Ava Low at third dropped out after a draw of one minute, to let Tara Gunn and Lisa Croce in for the minor prizes.
Other high placers who dropped way down were Maggie Croce, Jai Kenny and Lyn Potter, all drawing 5 minutes, and commendations to Isabella Salmon and James Dal Broi with the fastest times of 15:43 and 15:36 for the 3.2 kilometre course.
Most of the long course top ten pulled reasonable draws, except for Matt Kenny and last year’s title holder and club president Adam Johnson, both crashing to bottom of the table with 10 minute draws.
Matt and Rodney Savage fought one-on-one up the pinch out of the Remembrance Drive Gully and the last few hundred metres to the line, with the electronic mats saying Rodney ahead by one second.
So Savage was quite happy with his ten second draw, and the title was safe in hand, while Kenny dropped out of sight – what fun we thought, but did Matt think so?
Brendon Sinclair must be in fine form, bravely holding off a late challenge from Johnson to be third at the line, and the draw raised him to second.
Peter Stockwell at fifth ‘drew out’ and then Brendan Irvine and Mia Stockwell crossed the line together and both drew zero, for an equal third placing.
Rodney Savage and Narelle Lagergren at eighth across the line, recorded fastest times with their 30:37 and 33:21 for the 7.1 kilometres.
Joggers will assemble tonight to collect trophies and swap hard luck stories from across the year.
New year’s racing begins the very next day with race one of the Hotfoot competition featuring the infamous and “not for wimps” HaHa Hill.
