The Victorian Race Walking Club

The Winter Season occurs between April and September and covers the Australian winter. Conditions are generally superb for road walking with mild winter temperatures, fast courses and lots of competition for all age groups.          

VRWC ROADWALKS, MIDDLE PARK, SATURDAY 31 MAY 2025

Another cool but fine day saw 31 walkers toe the line on Saturday. All but the 1km walkers used the 2km course, taking advantage of its long stretches while they could. The 12km saw Arnika Nelson have her race over the distance, while Terry O’Neill showed his appreciation of the longer course to continue his good racing form. Emilie Garside was another to venture into unknown territory, tackling her first 10km, while Carolyn Rosenbrock took line honours in the 10km. The best 5km result on the day was Bob Gardiner’s, his 38:28 setting an inaugural M85 Club record. Great work, Bob! Erlyn Singh smashed her 3km PB by over a minute to take 3rd place with 19:14, while Emily Smith got to within 2 secs of her own in clocking the fastest time with 15:56. With Canberra on the horizon, Aria di Benedetto and Anna Dubar tried their hand at 3km for the first time and made the most of it, clocking 18:21 and 19:31 apiece. Arthur Robinson continued his steady improvement, this time slicing a healthy 35secs from his previous best. The 1km PB harvest continues unabated. Of the 12 starters, 10 recorded new bests – a terrific result. Leading the charge was Ryder Reid with a 30sec improvement, with mum Erin not far behind with a 25 sec PB. For once, Fletcher Reid had a speed peer to contend with in Harrison Ryan, who relished the chance to race a tough opponent, prevailing by a bare 1 sec, 5:07 to 5:08.

12km Walk        
1.  Terry O'Neill            M60+    1:18:36

1.  Arnika Nelson            Open    1:07:55   First 12km

10km Walk        
1.  John Nottle              M60+    1:05:14

1.  Carolyn Rosenbrock       M60+    1:02:57
2.  Emilie Garside           Open    1:09:30   First 10km
3.  Karyn O'Neill            M60+    1:12:32

5km Walk        
1.  Kevin Cassidy            M60+      29:38
2.  Robert Gardiner          M60+      38:28   M85 Club Record
    Max Davidson             Un18        DNF

1.  Ariana Pashutina         Un20      26:10
2.  Donna-Marie Elms         M60+      33:15
3.  Aangi Shah               Un16      34:20   First 5km

3km Walk        
1.  Arthur Robinson          Un18      20:18   PB 0:35

1.  Emily Smith              Un20      15:56
2.  Aria Di Benedetto        Un12      18:21   First 3km
3.  Erlyn Singh              Un12      19:14   PB 1:06
4.  Anna Dubar               Un12      19:31   First 3km
5.  Caitlyn Shipham          Un14      19:49
6.  Heather Carr             M60+      21:08
7.  Gwen Steed               M60+      23:12

1km Walk        
1.  Shaun Lewis              M40+       4:48   First 1km
2.  Harrison Ryan            Un14       5:07   First 1km
3.  Fletcher Reid            Un12       5:08
4.  Dimitri Pashutin         Un10       5:32   PB 0:13
5.  Bowie Clarke             Un10       6:03   PB 0:13
6.  Ryder Reid               Un10       6:14   PB 0:30
7.  Andrew Dubar                        7:12

1.  Kobe Lewis               Un14       5:30   PB 0:16
2.  Erin Reid                M40+       5:51   PB 0:25
3.  Abby Fowler              Un12       6:15   PB 0:09
4.  Cory Lewis               Un10       6:42   PB 0:1
5.  Ava Pravednikov          Un10       7:16   PB 0:17

This week's Actual Times Points and Handicap Points have been added to the progressive totals on page https://www.vrwc.org.au/vrwcpointscomps.shtml.

Thanks as always to our many judges, officials and helpers. Apologies if your name is not on the list. Everyone is appreciated – the events would not run without your help.

Manager: Mark Donahoo
Referee: Terry Swan
Race check in: Mark Donahoo
Timekeepers: Ian Laurie, Mark Donahoo
Recorders: Duncan Knox, Melinda Di Benedetto, Mark Donahoo, Kris Shipham, Alla Pashutina
Judges: David Cash (Chief), Gordan Loughnan, Brenda Felton, Tony Doran, Stu Cooper, Scott Nelson, Bec Lewis
Set up, Pack up: Terry Swan, Ian Laurie, Stu Cooper, Bob Gardiner, Karyn O'Neill, Jim Leppick, Duncan Knox
Bike rider: Tim Erickson, Terry Swan
Photos: Terry Swan (see https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10236211134399357)
Canteen: Donna Marie Elms, Gwen Steed

VRWC ROADWALKS, MIDDLE PARK, SATURDAY 24 MAY 2025

The 36 walkers who arrived at Middle Park on Saturday found another sunny autumn afternoon awaiting, the only downer being a cold, driving nor’easterly that spoiled a few hopes for fast times. It didn’t, however, prevent nine PBs from being set, with six coming from the keen-as-mustard 1km field.

The 8km saw Jade Chitty make her first appearance for the season with a time of 45:36. John Nottle showed that the Masters ranks can be fertile ground for best times, demolishing his previous fastest 8k time by over 2½ minutes for 53:23. Jordan Galbraith and Ariana Pashutina returned the best 6km times of the day, both going sub-33:00, while Arthur Robinson added another big improvement to his list with a 1:10 PB for 4km. It was pleasing to see two of our new young members, Kobe Lewis and Aangi Shah, have their first 4km hit-outs and gain valuable endurance experience. A sizeable field of 10 signed up for the 2km, with Emily Smith leading them home in a brisk 10:34. Grace Louey narrowly missed the 11:00 barrier with her 11:03 but managed to hold off a determined finish from Logan Allison by 5 secs. Caitlyn Shipham’s run of PBs had to end eventually, but not before she gave it a good crack and falling short by on 6 seconds. Anna Dubar and Daisy Hooper had their first go at the distance and came up with promising first results. No chilly wind could stop the fireworks in the 1km, with Fletcher Reid producing his first sub 5:00 result and brother Ryder joining him in the day’s PB circle. Grayson and Avery Allison, along with Ava Pravednikov and Summer Patten, all made huge progress on a tougher day for racing than one might have thought.
 
8km Walk       
1.  Jade Chitty            Open    45:36
2.  Emilie Garside         Open    56:44
3.  Karyn O'Neill          M60+    58:36
 
1.  Alejandro Stephens     Open    41:30
2.  Terry O'Neill          M60+    52:51
3.  John Nottle            M60+    53:22   PB 2:32
         
6km Walk        
1.  Ariana Pashutina      Un20    32:59
2.  Kate Sanford          Open    36:43
3.  Carolyn Rosenbrock    M60+    37:10
4.  Donna-Marie Elms      M60+    42:14

1.  Jordan Galbraith      Open    32:18   First 6km walk
         
4km Walk        
1.  Aangi Shah            Un16    26:48   First 4km walk 
2.  Erin Reid             M40+    27:06
3.  Kobe Lewis            Un14    28:13   First 4km walk
4.  Heather Carr          M60+    29:10

1.  Arthur Robinson       Un18    27:31   PB 1:10
2.  Scott Murdoch         M60+    30:48
    Shaun Lewis           M40+      DNF
         
2km Walk        
1.  Emily Smith           Un20    10:34
2.  Grace Louey           Open    11:03
3.  Addison Frenken       Un14    11:11
4.  Caitlyn Shipham       Un14    12:24
5.  Erlyn Singh           Un12    12:45
6.  Anna Dubar            Un12    12:55   First 2km walk
7.  Daisy Hooper          Un10    13:09   First 2km walk
8.  Abby Fowler           Un12    14:49

1.  Logan Allison         Un12    11:08
2.  Dimitri Pashutin      Un10    12:30

1km Walk        
1.  Cory Lewis            Un10     7:02
2.  Ava Pravednikov       Un10     7:03   PB 0:30
3.  Summer Patten         Un10     7:13   PB 0:42

1.  Fletcher Reid         Un12     4:59   PB 0:12
2.  Ryder Reid            Un10     6:27   PB 0:17
3.  Bowie Clarke          Un10     6:52
4.  Grayson Allison       Un10     7:07   PB 0:50
5.  Avery Allison         Un10     7:15   PB 0:43

This week's Actual Times Points and Handicap Points have been added to the progressive totals on page https://www.vrwc.org.au/vrwcpointscomps.shtml.

Thanks as always to our many judges, officials and helpers. Apologies if your name is not on the list. Everyone is appreciated – the events would not run without your help.

Manager: Stu Cooper
Referee: Terry Swan   
Race check in: Bill Carr, Emily Garside
Timekeeper: Ian Laurie
Recorders: Duncan Knox, Alla Pashutina, Kris Shipham, Rhiannon Ritorto
Judges: Di Lowden (chief), Michael Bodey, Dave Cash, Brenda Felton, Bec Lewis
Set up, Pack up: Stu Cooper, Terry O’Neill, Karyn O’Neill, Duncan Knox, Carolyn Rosenbrock, Emilie Garside
Bike rider: Terry Swan   
Photos: Terry Swan (see https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10236112660017559)   
Canteen: Donna Marie Elms     

AV, AV SCHOOLS AND VRWC ROADWALK CHAMPS, MIDDLE PARK, SUNDAY 18 MAY 2025

A freezing dawn blossomed into a perfect morning for racing at Middle Park, ideal for the AV 30km, Schools and VRWC championships, plus ancillary events. We had, in all, 49 starters from 54 entries, with some hard-fought contests and a number of PBs resulting.

Grasping the opportunity to score valuable WA qualifying points for Tokyo, Rebecca Henderson poured it on to clock an excellent 2:19:53 for the AV 30km title, a significant PB of over 2 minutes. India’s Priyanka Goswami, another with a qualifier already up her sleeve, was here for the points also and took silver in 2:26:54, a very creditable performance in an unfamiliar racing environment. Laura Langley (NZL) walked an even-paced 20km before encountering and prevailing against the lactate wall for 3rd in 2:45:38. In the Men’s championship, Mitchell Baker (ACT) set out with a vengeance and covered the first 5km in a snappy 21:01, with Rhydian Cowley and Will Thompson matching strides 10 secs in arrears. By half-way the three had drawn level and it was Thompson’s turn to put the hammer down with a sub-21:00 leg that gave him a 17 sec lead over Baker and Cowley at 20km. Soon after, Baker was sent the bill for his aggressive start as Rhydian struck, reeling off 5k splits of 20:46 and 20:26 to overwhelm Thompson and win with a world-class time of 2:05:31 to retain the Jared Tallent Trophy. Will had pretty much drained the tank by the final 5k but hung on well for 2:08:41 and silver in his first official 30km (he done it before in 35k races, of course.) Mitch was also doing it on G&D over the final 10km but was still capable of sub-5:00 laps, taking 3rd place in 2:12:51. And last but not least, Alejandro Stephens did a whopping PB to finish fourth with a hugely improved 2:35:39.

AV Open 30km                            5km      10km     15km       20km       25km       30km
1.  Rebecca Henderson       F    MUU    23:23    46:37    1:09:49    1:33:03    1:56:24    2:19:53   PB 2:47
2.  Priyanka Goswami        F    INA    24:46    49:17    1:13:49    1:38:21    2:02:54    2:26:54
3.  Laura Langley           F    NZL    26:32    54:05    1:21:27    1:48:40    2:16:12    2:45:38

1.  Rhydian Cowley          M    FHY    21:14    42:05    1:02:54    1:24:19    1:45:05    2:05:31
2.  Will Thompson           M    MPA    21:14    42:04    1:02:54    1:23:51    1:45:46    2:08:41
3.  Mitchell Baker          M    ACT    21:01    41:53    1:02:54    1:24:18    1:48:19    2:12:51
4.  Alejandro Stephens      M    GHA    25:32    50:58    1:16:11    1:41:50    2:08:10    2:35:39   PB 29:02

A total of 17 lined up for AV Schools championship races, which catered for U14 to U20 entrants. The best result of the day came from 14 year old Ela Uzun, whose 13:27 in the 3km – adding to a string of similarly fast 3000m times and a national track title over the summer – set new VRWC U15-U20 records! The U14s supplied the largest field of the day. Alaska Bremner walked an excellent 3km race from the front for a convincing win in 16:54. Behind her, Pippa Read and Addi Frenken revived their arm-wrestling rivalry of last year to hit the line almost together in the same time of 17:12. The only boys’ entrant, Tate McQueen, added some spice to the contest and showed he’d lost little of the form that garnered him a bronze medal in the AA track titles in Perth.

AV Schools U20 Male 10km
No starters
 
AV Schools U20 Female10km
No starters

AV Schools U18 Male5km    
1.  Max Davidson            M    DV College         23:23
2.  Arthur Robinson         M    Bayside college    36:12
             
AV Schools U18 Female 5km         
No starters             
             
AV Schools U16 Male 3km             
1.  Angus Shuttleworth      M    Blackburn HS       14:54
2.  Tate Jardine            M    PEGG               20:34
    Damian Baldy            M    Haileybury           DNS
                         
AV Schools U16 Female 3km             
1.  Ela Uzun                F    St Monicas Coll    13:27   VRWC U15-U20 Club Records
2.  Havana Ali              F    St Monicas Coll    15:32
3.  Matilda Read            F    Kurnai Coll        16:25
4.  Lily Lambert            F    John Paul Coll     18:02            
             
AV Schools U14 Male 3km             
1.  Tate McQueen            M    Marist College     17:13             
             
AV Schools U14 Female 3km             
1.  Alaska Bremner          F    St Marys PS        16:54
2.  Pippa Read              F    Mirboo North PS    17:12
3.  Addison Frenken         F    Rivercrest CC      17:12
4.  Indigo Marshall-Moodie  F    Kunyung PS         17:23
5.  Lunah Ibrahim           F    Al Iman college    19:15
6.  Caitlyn Shipham         F    Alkira SC          19:24
7.  Kobe Lewis              F    Home education     19:50
8.  Erlyn Singh             F    Casey Grammer      20:20
    Julia Baldy             F    Haileybury           DNS

While the older ones were hard at it in the AV Schools races, the ‘kindies’ were not to be denied, contesting their own Club championships over 1.5k and 1k. Aria di Benedetto continued her great early season form with a huge win in the U12. Second and third places weren’t decided until literally right on the line, courtesy of a withering surge by Abby Fowler who just pipped Anna Dubar, with another sole boy entrant, Felix Skurka, making it the most exciting finish of the day. The 1km championship saw Daisy Hooper easily claim her first Club title, with Alaska Marshall-Moodie going home from her first VRWC race with silver … a happy debut indeed.

VRWC U12 1.5km Championship Male          
1.  Felix Skurka            M       9:20
                 
VRWC U12 1.5km Championship Female          
1.  Aria Di Benedetto       F       8:53   PB 0:58
2.  Abby Fowler             F       9:20   PB 0:21
3.  Anna Dubar              F       9:20   PB 0:09
                 
VRWC U10 1km Championship Male          
    Harrison Parnes         M        DNS
                  
VRWC U10 1km Championship Female          
1.  Daisy Hooper            F       6:01
2.  Alaska Marshall-Moodie  F       6:38
3.  Cory Lewis              F       7:13
4.  Ava Pravednikov         F       7:16   PB 0:17

Several Open races were held for members and invitees, producing some pleasing results. It was great to see Tayla Billington back at Middle Park and stretching out over 20km, while Tim Fraser’s 1:21:15 was a top-level performance ahead of Kyle Swan whose 1:23:55 wasn’t too shabby either. Corey Dickson was also on for a good result until injury forced him to retire. We rarely see Marcus Wakim, Riley Coughlan, Fraser Saunder or Arnika Nelson at the Club these days, so having all of them back on the course for a club race was a welcome sight.

VRWC Open 20km Non-Championship         5km      10km     15km       20km
1.  Tayla Billington        F    QLD    23:34    47:09    1:11:40    1:36:52
    Hannah Mison            F    NSW    DNS                

1.  Timothy Fraser          M    ACT    20:42    41:00    1:01:09    1:21:15
2.  Kyle Swan               M    VRWC   21:02    41:53    1:02:52    1:23:55
3.  Marcus Wakim            M    VRWC   23:20    46:23    1:09:39    1:33:01
    Corey Dickson           M    ACT    21:01    41:37    DNF    
      
VRWC Open 8km Non-Championship     
1.  Riley Coughlan          M      35:24   PB 2:44
2.  Fraser Saunder          M      36:19   PB 0:13  
3.  Arnika Nelson           F      43:16
4.  Shaun Lewis             M      50:17
5.  Heather Carr            F    1:03:39
         
VRWC Open 4km Non-Championship     
1.  Jordan Galbraith        M      19:49   PB 0:13
2.  Kevin Cassidy           M      22:53    
3.  Emilie Garside          F      25:57
4.  Aangi Shah              F      27:53
5.  Robert Gardiner         M      31:43
         
VRWC Open 2km Non-Championship         
1.  Donna Marie Elms        F      13:17
2.  Ben Skurka              M      14:42
3.  Emily Smith             F         DQ

Thanks as always to our many judges, officials and helpers. Apologies if your name is not on the list. Everyone is appreciated – the events would not run without your help.   

Meet Manager: Mark Donahoo
Referee: Shane Bicknell
Jury of Appeal: Stu Cooper, Shane Bicknell, Tim Erickson
Check in: Bill Carr
Recorders: Duncan Knox, Tim Erickson, Emily Smith, Kris Shipham, Bob Gardiner
Timekeepers: Ian Laurie
Judges: Scott Nelson (Chief- Silver), Gordon Loughnan (Bronze), Di Lowden (Bronze), Terry O'Neill, David Cash, Brenda Felton, Bec Lewis
DQ board: Karyn O'Neill
Judges Recorder: Karyn O'Neill
Penalty area: Karyn O'Neill
Setup, during, Packup: Stu Cooper, Duncan Knox, Ian Laurie, Terry O'Neill, Karyn O' Neill, Bob Gardiner, Merilyn Reynolds
Bike rider: Stu Cooper
Photos: Therese Smith (see https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161477687071048)
Canteen: Donna Marie Elms
Presentations: Mark Donahoo, Simon Baker, Rhydian Cowley, Riley Coughlin
Red cards collector: Stu Cooper

VRWC ROADWALKS, MIDDLE PARK, SATURDAY 10 MAY 2025

Another beautiful, sunny autumn afternoon greeted a very encouraging turnout of 47 starters and their parents/supporters, with a Mother Day raffle to further gladden the spirits. At last we were able to use our 2km course which was appreciated by those tackling distances beyond 2km.

After attracting no entries last week, the 8km distance was booted out of hibernation by a small field led by Ariana Pashutina whose 43:53 was a good hit-out. The 6km saw two personal bests recorded, with Kate Sanford backing up from her big improvement of last week with a further reduction of 41 secs while John Nottle’s 39:17 was a sizeable 25 sec PB. The VRWC recognises no 6km records, but Gwen Steed’s 45:20, based on her 2023 5km time of 37:56, indicate that she’d have run that 5km record of hers pretty close.

New member Jordan Galbraith got his VRWC racing career off to a promising start, pushing Mark Blackwood hard in the 4km before Mark pulled away for a sub-20:00 result to Jordan’s 20:26. Jordan’s only prior appearance at Middle Park was as a member of the Diamond Valley AC 5km relay team in 2016, while his last recorded race anywhere was in the 2018 AV Shield final, so we could see him make up for lost time in a big way this winter. After an initial season of learning the sport and refining his technique over shorter distances, Arthur Robinson has stepped up to 4km and made a 34 sec improvement on his second try.

The 2km saw five boys (four little, one not so much!) step up to the distance for the first time, with 10yo Fletcher Reid taking line honours in his first outing with an excellent 10:43. Dimitri Pashutin recorded an impressive 37 sec PB of 12:13, indicating that his first sub-12:00 isn’t far away. On the subject of PBs, another whose consistent training and racing over the past 12 months is paying dividends is Caitlyn Shipham, whose 12:18 racked up her 3rd PB in as many weeks and won her the U14 handicap. For her part, Aria di Benedetto showed she’s just getting started on the improvement trail with a big 43 sec reduction of the time she posted last week to share the WOTW award with Bob Gardiner, this time taking the U12 handicap by squeaking under 12:00 for the first time with 11:59.

The 1km races often show big leaps (legally!) of progress among new young walkers as they get the hang of road racing. First past the post on this occasion was Anna Dubar with a 42 sec improvement in recording 5:41, ahead of her training mate Daisy Hooper who finished only 4 secs adrift. The biggest improver was Harrison Parnes, who cut his PB by nearly a minute in only his second 1km race, while Fletcher Walters marked his first appearance at Middle Park with a fine first-up time of 5:49.

8km Walk        
1.  Terry O'Neill           M60+    52:08

1.  Ariana Pashutina        Un20    43:53
2.  Carolyn Rosenbrock      M60+    49:41
3.  Karyn O'Neill           M60+    58:24

6km race        
1.  Shaun Lewis             M40+    35:24   Fist 6km
2.  John Nottle             M60+    39:17   PB 0:25
3.  Robert Gardiner         M60+    46:50

1.  Kate Sanford            Open    35:46   PB 0:41
2.  Emilie Garside          Open    41:26
3.  Donna-Marie Elms        M60+    41:42
4.  Gwen Steed              M60+    45:20

4km Walk        
1.  Mark  Blackwood         M40+    19:34
2.  Jordan Galbraith        Open    20:26   First 4km
3.  Pramesh Prasad          M40+    22:13
4.  Kevin Cassidy           M60+    23:01
5.  Arthur Robinson         Un18    28:41   PB 0:34

1.  Grace Louey             Open    23:30
2.  Heather Carr            M60+    28:34
3.  Amelia Vernal           Un18    29:09

2km Walk        
1.  Fletcher Reid           Un12    10:43   First 2km
2.  Brodie Welsh            Un14    11:29
3.  Dimitri Pashutin        Un10    12:13   PB 0:37
4.  Ryder Reid              Un10    13:14   First 2km
5.  Bowie Clarke            Un10    14:01   First 2km
6.  Felix Skurka            Un10    14:02   First 2km
7.  Ben Skurka              M40+    14:22   First 2km?

1.  Emily Smith             Un20    10:20
2.  Addison Frenken         Un14    11:06
3.  Georgia Walters         Un12    11:49   PB 0:33
4.  Aria Di Benedetto       Un12    11:59   PB 0:43
5.  Caitlyn Shipham         Un14    12:18   PB 0:13
6.  Erlyn Singh             Un12    12:39   PB 0:03
7.  Kobe Lewis              Un14    12:59
8.  Erin Reid               M40+    13:14
9.  Merilyn Reynolds        M40+    14:33
10. Abby Fowler             Un12    15:13

1km Walk        
1.  Fletcher Walters        Un10    05:49   First 1km
2.  Harrison Parnes         Un10    06:39   PB 0:56

1.  Anna Dubar              Un12    05:41   PB 0:42
2.  Daisy Hooper            Un10    05:45   PB 0:18
3.  Payton Welsh            Un10    06:29
4.  Shaylee Barker          Un12    06:46
5.  Ruby Nicholls           Un12    06:59   PB 0:08
6.  Brienna Barker          Un10    07:16   First 1km
7.  Cory Lewis              Un10    07:25
8.  Ava Pravednikov         Un10    07:34
9.  Summer Paten            Un10    07:55   First 1km
    
Thanks as always to our many judges, officials and helpers. Apologies if your name is not on the list. Everyone is appreciated – the events would not run without your help.        

Manager/Referee: Mark Donahoo
Race checkin: Bill Carr
Timekeepers: Ian Laurie,  Mark Donahoo
Recorders: Bill Carr, Alla Pashutina, Duncan Knox, Travis Barker, John Lyons, Kris Shipham
Judges: Stu Cooper (Chief), David Cash, Michael Bodey, Mark Wall, Gordan Loughnan, Brenda Felton
Judge trainee: Bec Lewis
Setup, Packup: Terry Swan, Ian Laurie, Bob Gardiner, Karyn O'Neill, Terry O'Neill
Bike rider: Terry Swan
Photos: Terry Swan (see https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10235923031556966)
Canteen: Donna Marie Elms, Gwen Steed
Raffle prizes: Donna Marie Elms
Coaching clinic: Mark Donahoo, Stu Cooper

VRWC ROADWALKS, MIDDLE PARK, SATURDAY 3 MAY 2025

The 36 starters who gathered at Middle Park for our first road races of Winter 2025 were bathed in sunshine and a pleasant low 20s. It was heartening to see healthy fields in the 1km and 2km as many of our new members took to the road for the first time. The longest race contested was the 6km, won comfortably by Ariana Pashutina, with Kate Sanford returning after a 3-year absence to smash her 6k PB. Shaun Lewis and Emily Smith took line honours in the 4km, with John Nottle also hitting the PB scoreboard in a big way. Young Aria di Benedetto produced the result of the day with a PB by over 2 mins in the 2km. Fletcher Reid and Daisy Hooper had strong wins over 1km, with a slew of Little Aths competitors recording their first times over the kilometre.

6km Walk
1.  Ariana Pashutina    Un20    34:48
2.  Kate Sanford        Open    36:27   PB 1:33
3.  Donna-Marie Elms    M60+    43:00
4.  Karyn O'Neill       M60+    43:22
5.  Heather Carr        M60+    45:23
         
4km Walk
1.  Shaun Lewis         M40+    23:12   First 4km
2.  John Nottle         M60+    25:49   PB 0:57
3.  Arthur Robinson     Un18    29:15   First 4km
4.  Bob Gardiner        M60+    31:03

1.  Emily Smith         Un20    23:03
2.  Grace Louey         Open    23:21
3.  Gwen Steed          M60+    30:11
        
2km Walk
1.  Addison Frenken     Un14    11:42
2.  Caitlyn Shipham     Un14    12:31   PB 0:13
3.  Aria Di Benedetto   Un12    12:42   PB 2:20
4.  Erlyn Singh         Un12    12:49
5.  Kobe Lewis          Un14    12:51
6.  Aangi Shah          Un16    12:52   First 2km
7.  Abby Fowler         Un12    14:40
8.  Merilyn Reynolds    M40+    15:10

1.  Max Davidson        Un18     9:00
2.  Logan Allison       Un12    11:33
3.  Geoff Barrow        M60+    15:36

1km Walk
1.  Fletcher Reid       Un12     5:17
2.  Dimitri Pashutin    Un10     5:45   PB 0:01
3.  Bowie Clarke        Un10     6:16   First 1km
4.  Ryder Reid          Un10     6:44   First 1km
5.  Harrison Parnes     Un10     7:35   First 1km
6.  Grayson Allison     Un10     7:57   PB 1:04
7.  Avery Allison       Un14     7:58   First 1km

1.  Daisy Hooper        Un10     6:03   First 1km
2.  Erin Reid           M40+     6:16   First 1km
3.  Anna Dubar          Un12     6:22   First 1km
4.  Ruby Nicholls       Un12     6:51   First 1km
5.  Cory Lewis          Un10     6:55   First 1km
6.  Ava Pravednikov     Un10     7:33   First 1km

Thanks as always to our many judges, officials and helpers. Apologies if your name is not on the list. Everyone is appreciated – the events would not run without your help.        

Manager: Terry Swan
Referee: Mark Donahoo
Race checkin: Mark Donahoo
Timekeeper: Ian Laurie,
Recorders: Alla Pashutina, Kris Shipham, Mel Di Benedetto, Michael Bodey, Duncan Knox
Judges: Brenda Felton (Chief), David Cash, Di Lowden, Gordan Loughnan, Terry O'Neill,  Mark Wall
Setup, Packup: Terry Swan, Ian Laurie, Stu Cooper, Michael Bodey, Gordon Loughnan, Bob Gardiner
Bike rider: Stu Cooper
Photos: Therese Smith (see https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10235836897923679)
Canteen: Donna Marie Elms, Gwen Steed

 

VRWC TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS, MENTONE, SATURDAY 26 APRIL 2025

The VRWC winter season kicked off last Saturday afternooon with track races at Dolomore Reserve in Mentone. The meet included VRWC Club Championships for the following distances: 10,000m, 5000m, 3000m and 1500m. Now that's a great way to kick off the season! A total of 29 walkers contested the various events on offer. Conditions were just about perfect and there were a number of PBs and some great performances. We also welcomed a lot of new walkers having their first walks with the club  - welcome to Ben and Felix Skurka, Anna Dubar, Daisy Hooper and Milana Fernando. Special shout outs to Bob Gardiner (M85 1500m club record) and Heather Carr (W75 1500m club record).

VRWC 10,000m Track Championship        
1.  Alejandro Stephens          Open      50:07
       
1.  Carolyn Rosenbrock          M60+    1:03:36
   
VRWC 5000m Track Championship        
1.  Terry O'Neill               M60+      33:08
       
1.  Karyn O'Neill               M60+      35:39
    Emily Smith                 U20          DQ

VRWC 3000m Track Championship        
1.  Pramesh Prasad              M40+      16:00
2.  Shaun Lewis                 M40+      16:48   PB 0:18
3.  Logan Allison               U12       17:32   PB 0:38
4.  Arthur Robinson             U18       20:53   PB 0:25
5.  Geoff Barrow                M60+      23:36
       
1.  Lily Lambert                U16       17:58   PB 0:57
2.  Addison Frenken             U14       18:08
3.  Emilie Garside              Open      19:14
4.  Caitlyn Shipham             U14       19:42   PB 0:59
5.  Aangi Shah                  U16       20:22   PB 0:48
6.  Donna-Marie Elms            M60+      20:23
7.  Gwen Steed                  M60+      22:12

VRWC 1500m Track Championship        
1.  Felix Skurka                U10        8:41   First walk with the club
2.  Bob Gardiner                M60+      10:34   VRWC M85 Club Record (by 26 secs)
3.  Ben Skurka                  M40+      10:43   First walk with the club
    Scott Murdoch               M60+         DQ
       
1.  Natalie Ramirez             U12        8:38
2.  Kobe Lewis                  U14        8:49
3.  Anna Dubar                  U12        9:29   First walk with the club
4.  Daisy Hooper                U10        9:35   First walk with the club
5.  Abby Fowler                 U12        9:59
6.  Heather Carr                M60+      10:06   VRWC W75 Club Record (by 5 secs)
7.  Merilyn Reynolds            M40+      11:08
8.  Milana Fernando             U12       13:27   First walk with the club

Thanks as always to our many judges, officials and helpers. Apologies if your name is not on the list. Everyone is appreciated – the events would not run without your help.        

Manager: Mark Donahoo
Referee: Stu cooper
Race checkin: Mark Donahoo,
Timekeepers: Kris Shipham, Tim Erickson
Recorders: Duncan Knox, Louise Lamber, Eve Lambert, Dean Lambert, Kris Shipham, Tim Erickson, Kevin Cassidy
Starters: Kevin Cassidy, Mark Donahoo
Judges: Gordan Loughnan (Chief), Mark Wall, Di Lowden, Brenda Felton, David Cash, Anthony Doran
Setup, Packup: Tim Erickson, Duncan Knox, Kris Shipham
Photos: Therese Smith (See https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10161398121681048)
Canteen: Donna Marie Elms, Gwen Steed
Presentations: Mark Donahoo, Tim Erickson