Glenn Way Out West, Oscar Heads For The Hills and Alex By The Seaside.

By Brian Marantelli 25 June 2019

In early June Glenn Sullivan hit the road for his regular parkrun, ending up in far north Western Australia. In doing so he landed his first Victorian Cross Country win. Glenn, a veteran of parkrun, and a recent regular at VCCL and VAL events ventured to Kununurra in the Kimberleys for the warm weather and a 5km age PB of 18:43. Glenn, like Russell Johnson, is spreading the VCCL colours far and wide, having raced at twenty seven different parkrun venues. Russell, not to be out done, has visited in excess of one hundred venues in his parkrun journeys. Luke Critchley, running at Lancefield and enjoying his first VCCL season, picked up his first prizemoney by finishing second. Fastest time of the day went to Shane Thiele running at Portarlington.

For race seven of the winter program the VCCL raced with Athletics Victoria at Bundoora Park for the tough and hilly 10km cross country event. Oscar Robinson also managed his first VCCL win with a fifty five second margin over Carl Kennedy. Oscar’s time was a very commendable 32:55, not far behind Michael Marantelli’s time of 32:42. The Club performed very well in the AV standings at Bundoora with the division 3 team finishing third, the division 6 team winning easily and the over 40’s a commendable fourteenth in a field of fifty six.

The Ekiden relay was the race for the VCCL on week 8 and Anglesea foreshore was the venue on a day that threatened rain but remained fine, and occasionally sunny, all day. The event, a relay over a variety of distances, is a major event on the Athletics Victoria calendar and the VCCL produced a good card of results. The division three team turned the tables on Mornington to win the division and to move into a closing second place on the premiership ladder. The division six team destroyed their opposition with a twenty seven minute victory over Keilor St Bernards, moving to a commanding overall lead in their competition. The division seven team, after a little confusion with an invitation entry, also won their division clearly and have moved from eighth to fourth overall. The Victorian Cross Country League’s sealed handicap conducted amid the confusion of the varying distances went to Alex Bacalja by seven seconds from Hunter Rubino and Dan Lawlor. Alex, a regular and very successful competitor on the Victorian Athletic League’s summer circuit collected his first win on Saturday. Many thanks to Professor Sean Quilty who continually manages to produce a sealed handicap result after considering a myriad of distances, course and conditions.

This Sunday 30^th June we head to Woodlands Park for the Caruana 8km Classic with a 10am start. Please note the event is a handicap (staggered) start.

The following Saturday 6^th July is the Athletics Victoria 6.2km relays at Sandown Park Racecourse. This event is always well attended and the VCCL are looking to enter teams in divisions 3, 6, 7, Women’s and over 40’s. Please make your availability know as soon as possible.

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