THE track record of 15 minutes was smashed by the first nine in the men’s elite race at Friday night’s 5km Frenzy run at the Bendigo Region Athletics complex in Flora Hill.

Hot favourites Andy Buchanan and Ellie Pashley reigned supreme in the feature events in the Bendigo Harriers inaugural 5km Frenzy at the Flack Advisory Services Group-backed Bendigo Region Athletics headquarters.

It was another home-track win for Bendigo University’s Buchanan, who raced in the colours of sponsor Features Socks and clocked a track record 14:21.

Pashley used Bendigo’s event as part of her build-up to the Tokyo Olympics and ran strongly in the blustery conditions to achieve a time of 16:08.
For several laps, Pashley and the rest of the field raced under the arc of a rainbow.

The elite men’s race capped a great night of athletics action in which Bendigo Harriers teamed with City of Greater Bendigo as part of the Summer in the Parks calendar.

Bendigo Harriers’ clubmates Jamie Cook and Nathan Stoate upped the pace significantly when they attacked on the third of 12 1/2 laps.

The rest of the field responded and it was Buchanan who hit the lead at seven to go and was never headed. Approaching the halfway mark Echuca’s Archie Reid was trying to stay in contact, but Buchanan quickly gained a 20 metre lead.

Buchanan powered to victory ahead of Spence from Ballarat Harriers, 14:45.06; and Glenhuntly’s Ben Kelly, 14:45.26. The top nine all beat the Bendigo track record of 15-minutes.

“I had to work hard to get away,” Buchanan said. “The aim was to run a strong 3km, but after the first couple of laps I knew I had to do something.
“I was never too worried about the time, it was more about a solid hit-out leading up to the Zatopek 10km on January 26.”

Buchanan praised the Harriers and COGB for the initiative: “It was great to have such a quality field and cool atmosphere.

“This was so different to any track race I have done, especially running through the marquee on the home straight. The cheering gave me a lift each time.”
Among those trackside were Buchanan’s parents, Alan and Jenny, and many others who had supported and watched his development as an athlete.

Ellie Pashley

Plenty of training on the windswept south coast meant Ellie Pashley was not daunted by the headwind on the home straight at Bendigo’s track.
“It’s great to be back racing,” Pashley said after an impressive victory.
“The conditions were tough.
“This was a good hit-out leading up to Zatopek and other big events,” the Deakin AC champion said of the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics in which she could race the 10,000m on the track, or the marathon.

“The aim was sub 16 minutes in tonight’s race. It was not to be, but I was really happy with the run,” said the Julian Spence coached-athlete.

Mixed Heats

Winners of the mixed 5000m heats were Andrew Kraulis, Shepparton’s Glenn McMillan, and Jack O’Mahoney from the Run 2 PB squad of which Andy Buchanan is a coach. There were 58 competitors across the men’s elite, women’s elite, and three heats of mixed.

Athletes travelled from as far afield as Essendon, Ballarat, Williamstown, Geelong, Melbourne, Glenhuntly, Box Hill and Mornington.

The night included track records being broken by Box Hill’s Julie Norney, 40-plus and 50-plus in the women’s elite; and by Bellarine’s Grant Simpson, 40-plus and 50-plus, in the third of the mixed heats.

Bendigo records were broken by University’s Stephen van Rees in the ‘pre-veteran’ category; and Bendigo Harriers’ rising star Harrison Boyd in the Under-16 category.

Results

Results from the 5km Frenzy run by Bendigo Harriers, in conjunction with the City of Greater Bendigo’s Summer in the Parks program:

Elite men’s 5000m: (Name, Age, Club, Time)

  1. Andy Buchanan 29, Bendigo University 14:21.86;
  2. Julian Spence 34, Ballarat Harriers 14:45.06;
  3. Ben Kelly 24, Glenhuntly 14:45.26;
  4. Michael Marantelli 33, Athletics Essendon 14:47.02;
  5. Matt Gunther 27, Invitation 14:50.56;
  6. Brady Threlfall 33, Bendigo Harriers 14:53.56;
  7. Jamie Cook 29, Bendigo Harriers 14:54.62;
  8. Nathan Stoate 21, Bendigo Harriers 14:55.41;
  9. Archie Reid 19, South Bendigo 14:59.02;
  10. Matt Buckell 18, Bendigo University 15:06.45;
  11. Brett Ellis 26, Williamstown 15:16.55;
  12. Zac Norton 17, Geelong Guild 15:18.49;
  13. Jonny Earl 36, Melbourne University 15:21.92;
  14. Ned Buckell 18, Bendigo University 15:24.45;
  15. Brian McGinley 32, Bendigo University 15:28.17.

 

Above: Men’s podium.

Elite women’s 5000m: (Name, Age, Club, Time)

  1. Ellie Pashley, 32 Deakin 16:08.63
  2. Karinna Fyfe, 31 Glenhuntly 16:57.29
  3. Stella Radford, 25 Melbourne Uni 17:01.03
  4. Gemma Maini 34 Frankston 17:04.17 5
  5. Brianne Hook, 32 Wendouree 18:11.18
  6. Julie Norney, 52 Box Hill 18:12.26 (Track record, 40-plus, 50-plus).

Above: Podium and placegetters for the Elite Women’s 5000m.

Mixed 5000m: (Name, Age, Club, Time)

Heat one:

  1. Andrew Kraulis 40, Invitation 19:33.52;
  2. Alice Wilkinson 34, Bendigo Harriers 19:36.72;
  3. Joel Riordan 11, Bendigo Harriers 20:36.45;
  4. Paris Gadsden 32, Melbourne University 21:07.64;
  5. Anne Buckley 53, Bendigo Harriers 21:12.50;
  6. Frank McNamara 67, Invitation 21:18.73;
  7. Yvette Palmer 30, Bendigo Harriers 22:12.20;
  8. Malcolm McLeod 40, Invitation 24:48.17;
  9. Mack Elkington 12, Invitation 25:02.60;
  10. Kevin Shanahan 65, Eaglehawk 26:03.44;
  11. Brodie Schintler 12, Bendigo Harriers 27:12.55;
  12. Salwa Dastgeer 39, Invitation DNF.

Heat two:

  1. Jack O’Mahoney 20, Invitation 16:48.13;
  2. Luke Crameri 33, Bendigo Harriers 16:59.74;
  3. Billy Meade 15, Bendigo University 17:01.64;
  4. Angus Macafee 15, Bendigo University 17:14.57;
  5. Nathan Crowley 47, Bendigo University 17:49.98;
  6. Rob Petrie 50, Invitation 17:53.25;
  7. Andrew Creer 49, Bendigo University 17:54.40;
  8. Brian Watson 49, Bendigo University 17:56.22;
  9. Mike Bieleny 58, Bendigo University 17:59.00;
  10. Hamish Morcom 27, Invitation 17:59.74;
  11. Michael Bishop 49, Mornington 18:08.77;
  12. Matthew Mahoney 23, Glenhuntly 18:32.19;
  13. Luke Brophy 46, Invitation 18:39.86;
  14. Gary Murphy 43, Invitation 19:08.83.

Heat three:

  1. Glenn McMillan 28, Shepparton 15:37.32;
  2. Kaleb Laker 22, Keilor-St Bernard’s 15:37.40;
  3. Stephen van Rees 39, Bendigo University 15:44.40 (Bendigo record, pre-veteran);
  4. Alex Murray 24, Invitation 15:51.17;
  5. Alexander Howard 31, Ballarat YCW 15:54.46;
  6. Nigel Preston 37, Bendigo University 16:03.59;
  7. Seth Chan 32, Nunawading 16:04.66;
  8. Ned Verwey 27, Frankston 16:06.57;
  9. Harrison Boyd 15, Bendigo Harriers 16:11.34 (Bendigo record, under-16);
  10. Grant Simpson 51, Bellarine 16:12.32 (Track record, 40-plus, 50-plus);
  11. Ashley Rogers 31, Ballarat YCW 16:17.95.

 

Above: Heat Three finish between Glenn McMillan and Kaleb Laker.

Above: The event featured a fun festival atmosphere with live music, food and family entertainment.

 

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Proudly supported by the City of Greater Bendigo’s “Summer in the Parks” Festival program.