Australian Mountain Running Championships
Ferntree Gully, Melbourne
Sunday 7 June 2009

Cool, overcast, still weather provided idyllic running conditions for competitors in Sunday's Australian Mountain Running Championships at Ferntree Gully. Local Knox runner Jordan Nelson set the scene for the day when he and Traralgon's Stephen McShane took command in the first race of the day, the junior men's 8.2 kms over two laps of a 4.1 km circuit with a gruelling 1 km steep ascent of the Lyrebird Track to start. Nelson ran the impressive time of 35.46 with McShane runner up in 36.14 and Junior World Orienteering Championships representative Oscar Phillips of Newstead Harriers in Tasmania third in 36.43.

The junior girls 4.1 kms saw a close contest between Briony Shaw of Richmond Harriers, first in 22.10, and Kimberley Duthie of Frankston, second in 22.33.
The open women's 8.2 kms was dominated by former world orienteering champion Hanny Allston of Box Hill who ran 37.02. Defending champion Jessamy Hosking of the ACT was as strong as Allston on the uphill sections but could not match her downhill speed and finished second in 38.38. Knox runner Kate Siebold-Crosbie was third in 39.03. ACT runner Angela Bateup, third in the world long distance mountain running championship in 2008, was 4th in 39.16.

The open men's 12.3 kms saw a strong win to ACT runner Mark Bourne in 50.30. Bourne (pictured) was the best Australian senior male at the 2007 world mountain running championship, and in 2008 performed well in World Mountain Running Association Grand Prix events in Europe, with a highest placing of 9th. Twenty year old Matthew Johnson of Doncaster had an outstanding championship debut, finishing exactly one minute behind Bourne in 51.30, with 4-time Australian representative Stephen Brown of NSW 3rd in 52.13.

There were also a number of outstanding performances by veteran runners. Colleen Middleton of the Border Track & Field Club took out the W45 8.2 kms in 42.00, Kathy Southgate of North Canberra Gungahlin W50 in 45.54 and Lavinia Petrie of Ringwood the W65 championship in 25.01. Canberra's David Hosking, a prolific winner of long mountain runs in the ACT was 4th outright as well as fastest M40 in 57.23 for the 12.3 kms, and the M45 title went to Australian 24 hour representative Simon Phillips who clocked 64.12. Frank McShane from Traralgon Harriers won the M50 12.3 kms in 67.23 from clubmate Ian Twite, Bruce Rattenbury of Knox the M55 8.2 kms in 50.52 and Gabriel Cardmona of South Melbourne the M65 8.2 kms in 51.04. The oldest competitor on the day was 73 year old Tony Krantzcke, and outstanding long distance trail runner in his younger days. He won the M70 8.2 kms in 75.16.
The Australian Mountain Running Association thanked the Knox Athletics Club and Athletics Victoria officials who helped organise the championships.

AthsvicTV coverage is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfzyBj0kthE