AS THE second half of Athletics Victoria’s XCR22 season kicks off at Bundoora Park this Saturday, Bendigo Bats lead the premiership race in five divisions. A huge day of racing at Bundoora includes selection trials for the Australian Cross Country Championships and Victorian All Schools XC titles. Open and over-age men’s and women’s races will be 10km on the testing slopes. Juniors will race 3km, 4km, 6km, or 8km to decide the schools championships.
THE talent pool of the Bendigo Bats squad was on show in Saturday’s running of Ekiden Relays in the fourth round of Athletics Victoria’s cross-country series. Teams of six, five, four or three athletes ran varying distances in the relay legs at St Anne’s Winery in Myrniong. Despite being without number one runner Andy Buchanan and young gun Archie Reid, Bendigo Bats still finished more than 90 seconds clear of Glenhuntly to win men’s premier division. The Bendigo region also won the Women's Division 4, Men's Div 4, Junior Boys U/18 categories.
ATHLETICS Bendigo’s Regions cross-country stars shone in Saturday’s third round of XCR22 at Cruden Farm in Langwarrin. The Bendigo Bats led the charge in several of the men’s, women’s and junior divisions.
Bendigo Bats made a brilliant start to Athletics Victoria's cross-country series in Saturday's team relays at Jells Park in Wheelers Hill. The "Bats" team marked a long-awaited and hard-fought return to Men's Premier division by scoring an eight second win from Western Athletics. Athletes in open class ran 6km, juniors ran a 3km distance. A dozen teams represented Bendigo across various age groups and distances. Bendigo's tally was five wins, three times runner-up, one third placing, two sixth placings, a ninth, and 12th.
Calling all Bendigo Region cross country and road runners - we are now recruiting for the 'Bendigo Bats' for the Athletics Victoria XCR Winter Season. You don't have to race every round & you don't have to be the fastest: just by finishing you'll help contribute points to the team's score.