General News
4 November, 2024
Great turnout with registrations for fun run increasing
The Warracknabeal Lions Park became a busy centre when runners and walkers of all aged flocked to the park for the annual Run the Beal organise by Warracknabeal Action Group's Events committee on Sunday.
Committee member Jayden Werner said they received well over 140 entires.
"We had a great response for the second year, it all went really well," he said.
"The weather was perfect and we did have some late entries too."
As a part of entry fees, participants were offered a complimentary 15 minute massage after they competed.
"That went down really well," Mr Werner said.
Participants had the choice of competing in a five kilometre, 10km or 21km course with children taking part in the kids run.
Each course started and finished at Warracknabeal Lions Park and took participants around Yarriambiack Creek.
The kids run saw children compete in an 800 metre run to the half moon bridge and back to Lions Park.
"We had a lot of volunteers which was great," Mr Werner said.
"Harry Butcher was our MC for the first time."
Warracknabeal community groups such as Apex, Rotary and Lions Clubs helped with the event alongside the Yarriambiack Shire Council staff.
"It takes a lot of people to make an event like this happen and we're so lucky to have so many people behind it," he said.
Matt Walder, the winner of the 21km run, said he has been training hard leading up to it.
"I have been non-stop with my running and specialised a little program in the last month to gear up for it," Walder said.
"There is a specific program that I did to ensure I was suitable to run it with the best speed possible.
"I was working up to a longer distance with interval and tempo runs and mixed it up with the preparation. I did one long run a week, and the rest is broken down into smaller parts, with one rest day."
The track is challenging, but Walder was happy with his time and urged others to join the event in the future, highlighting its picturesque beauty.
"On the trail track, it's not a fast track, as it's a bit unstable under foot, but it's a great little boutique event with a nice tree-lined course around the creek and a country community vibe," Walder said.
"You could see the extra number of people today across the board participating and helping, and the conditions were excellent, and the volunteers and all the support staff have been terrific, and the event will continue to grow.
"It's in its second year now, and it will snowball through word of mouth, and hopefully, more people will join next year and in the years to come, and who knows, maybe it might challenge the Melbourne Marathon one day."
Walder's final time was 1:30:17 with Henry Overman coming in second with 1:32:13.
Mitch Jones took out first place for the 10km with a time of 38:12 followed by Daniel McKenzie with 42:04.
Tayte Wardle cleaned up first place for the 5km with a time of 27:28 and Daniel Schache followed behind with 28:13.
Mr Werner encourages those who attended and participated to contact WAG's Events committee with any feedback.
"Whether that be positive or negative, we're always looking for ways to improve," he said.
Feedback can be sent to wag3393@gmail.com
