Author: Artsystems

45th Annual Frankston to Portsea Road Race 55km/34 miles

43rd Annual Frankston to Portsea Road Race 55km/34 miles

Sunday April 12th 2015

Report by Kevin Cassidy

1.	Chris O’Brien	4:27:58
2.	Gabor Jakus	5:04:41
3.	Justin Jeffery	5:39:54
4.	Chester Lennon	5:56:35
5.	Kai Yuan Ooi	6:02:13
6.	Peter Gray	11:07:58

Frankston never ceases to both amuse and bemuse. Arriving in the traditional meeting point in the car park behind “The Deck” nightclub, I was impressed that a female runner was stripped down and ready to run some 40 minutes before start time.

Closer inspection revealed the “runner” was actually a scantily clad night club patron recovering in the car park from an obviously heavy night partaking of a variety of substances that stretch beyond my imagination.

Further inspection again as the mistaken “runner” moved closer to my vehicle revealed that she was indeed a he!!!!!! The creatures that inhabit the Frankston nightclub strip continue to reach dizzy new heights.

With the sun rising rapidly, eight runners departed Frankston. Three intending to do a 40km training run while the remaining five were set on the Portsea destination. All five were first-timers and all were in training for the 89km Comrades Marathon some six weeks later in South Africa.

All found there relative paces quite early and settled in to a perfect running day. It really was the most divine weather. Port Phillip Bay looked so inviting.
Chris O’Brien powered down the highway arriving in Portsea a comfortable winner. All five runners appeared content with their efforts and are well on track for their upcoming Comrades challenge.

Our date for next year is April 3 where this traditional annual event will stretch to 44 years.

42nd Annual Frankston to Portsea Road Race 55km/34 miles

Sunday April 6th 2014

1.	Magnus Michelsson	3:38:38
2.	Joanne Tremonti [F]	4:46:50
3.	Lenard Bryer	5:05:27
4.	Maureen Wilson [F]	5:30:14
5.	Anne Ziogos [F]	5:30:14
6.	Barry Rosenberg	5:34:23
7.	Hilton Kahlberg	5:45:26
8.	Colin Sacho	5:45:26
9.	Ruth Fantozzi [F]	6:41:03
10.	Paul Spencer	6:53:09
11.	Peter Gray	10:32:29

Cameron Hall 40km
Mike Manders 40km
Tovy Vu [F] 35km

Report by Kevin Cassidy

Once again, the Fat Ass jaunt down the Nepean Highway attracted a field of runners all looking for a decent hit out for longer ultras coming up.

The usual suspects of Comrades runners were joined by one of our nations best in Magnus Michelsson. Magnus was returning to Comrades this year and was in fine form.

Magnus took off at record pace leaving all and sundry in his dust.

Meanwhile, Maureen Wilson and Anne Ziogos were rolling on down the highway wearing large packs. This was all part of their training for the upcoming North Face 100km in which carrying all that gear is compulsory. The looked a sight and half passing through Sorrento and Portsea but ultimately, it was a productive day and excellent lead up run for them.

I spent the best part keeping the drinks up for Magnus as he thundered down the peninsula. He was very much in contention for a new course record until about 38km when he fell marginally behind pace. Regardless, his 3:38:38 is the second fastest time ever and a great result leading into his Comrades Marathon assault.

Magnus also provided the oddity of the day by arriving in Portsea with no money, cards or any fresh clothing awaiting him. Fortunately, I had a MYKI card with a few dollars on it, so I handed it to him and he quickly jumped on the bus back to Frankston still in his running gear.

Another highlight was Paul Spencer making amends by finishing after he was forced to DNF a year ago.

Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles

Sunday April 7th 2013

1.	Joanne Tremonti [F]	5:09:42
2.	Joe Ta	5:21:55
3.	Andrea Gild [F]	5:44:00
4.	Ruth Fantozzi [F]	6:05:17
5.	Josh Sher	6:08:48
6.	Hilton Kahlberg	6:08:48
7.	Matt Wilson	6:43:31
7.	John Dobson	6:43:31
9.	Brian Glover	7:19:24
10.	Peter Gray	10:05:33

DNF Paul Spencer 32km

Report by Kevin Cassidy

It was satisfying to see a healthy number of starters for the Fat Ass run to Portsea. In the main, the field consisted of several Comrades runners looking for a decent lead up event, as well as a few of the regular old stagers!

Joanne and Joe ran steadily together at the front of the field with Joanne pulling away in the last 10km to be the first to arrive in Portsea looking as fresh as the proverbial daisy. Not for the first time, a woman had cleaned up all the men.

Also of note was Peter Gray finishing for a record 13th time.

Frankston to Portsea Road Race 55km/34 miles

Sunday April 1st 2012

By Kevin Cassidy

Three points of note this year:

• It was the run’s 40th year.
• Peter Gray clocked up his 12th finish.
• It was Peter Gray’s 300th ultramarathon!!! In a career that dates back to 1984, Peter is Australia’s most prolific ultra runner.

1.	Brett Stickland	4:42:48
2.	Mark Travill	5:29:53
3.	Hilton Kahlberg	5:36:45
4.	Bruce Hargreaves	6:01:46
5.	John Dobson	6:01:46
6.	Jarrod Mast	6:12:20
7.	Peter Gray	10:08:35

Andrew Herman 42.2km 4:49:05
Kerry Clapham 34km

Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles

3rd April 2011

Race Report by Kevin Cassidy

Following the forced cancellation of the event in an official capacity, a small band of runners made the journey to Portsea regardless. Results below were passed on in dribs and drabs and may not be complete.

1.	Serena Wooldridge [F]	5:00:17
2.	Mike Todaro	5:01:00
3.	Justin McCarthy	5:07:00
4.	Michael Collins	5:20:15
4.	Shane Hutton	5:20:15
6.	Paul Warren	5:37:00
7.	Alan Marlow	5:47:00
8.	Barry Rosenberg	5:49:55
9.	Bruce Hargreaves	6:32:00
10.	John Dobson	6:40:00
11.	Peter Gray	10:22:46

Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles

Sunday 11th April 2010

1.	Magnus Michelsson	3:45:59
2.	Brett Stickland	4:15:33
3.	Tory Trewhitt	4:22:21
4.	Rohan Day	4:24:53
5.	Clinton Watson	4:29:58
6.	Stuart Elliott	4:41:05
7.	Baz Skelton	4:42:58
8.	Mick Banfield	4:43:00
9.	Carmen Atkinson [F]	4:45:02
10.	Toby Wiadrowski	4:45:06
10.	Dan Beard	4:45:06
12.	Grant Dewar	4:45:45
13.	Chris Wilson	4:52:22
14.	Andrew Barden	4:55:41
15.	Felicity Copp [F]	5:02:03
15.	David Eadie	5:02:03
17.	Maureen Wilson [F]	5:03:57
17.	Kevin Smart	5:03:57
19.	Kazuya Nakatani	5:05:15
20.	Barry Green	5:08:58
21.	Damien Rankin	5:11:32
22.	Brett Foote	5:11:32
23.	Jane Allardice [F]	5:13:49
24.	Matt McNamara	5:14:41
25.	Roland Williams	5:14:58
26.	Paul Kofman	5:15:30
27.	David Bree	5:16:31
28.	Cathy Roberts [F]	5:16:49
29.	Greg Kew	5:19:58
30.	Lesley Hurley [F]	5:22:25
31.	Michael Dale	5:22:36
32.	Barry Rosenberg	5:25:49
33.	Stephen van der Tang	5:28:24
34.	Shaun Bourke	5:29:02
35.	Joanne Parlevliet [F]	5:29:55
36.	Kevin Mannix	5:36:04
36.	David Jennings	5:36:04
38.	David Hughes	5:46:02
39.	Philippa Miner [F]	5:48:29
40.	Cheryl Symons [F]	5:50:48
41.	Dave Stokie	5:52:16
42.	Michelle Donnelly [F]	5:53:33
42.	Dane Waites	5:53:33
44.	Alan Marlow	5:55:19
45.	Mark Falls	5:57:04
46.	Toby McKinnon	5:58:15
47.	Miranda Price [F]	6:02:18
48.	Maja Zepcan [F]	6:03:05
49.	Paul Rogers	6:03:28
50.	Antonio Gonzalves	6:04:09
51.	Terrie Stevens	6:15:08
52.	Romano Gallo	6:17:34
53.	Alannah Cooper [F]	6:26:58
54.	Ernie Hartley	6:53:39
55.	Dave Brelsford	7:02:22
56.	Brian Glover	7:04:04
57.	Luke Cable	7:31:17
58.	Peter Gray	10:16:42

Shadi Samir 43km
Julie Green [F] 42km in 3:41:00
Kurt Hourigan 35km
Simon Senior 33km
Andrew Herman 30km
Anna Papij [F] 28km
Hayley White [F] 25km
Dale Thomson ?????

Report by Kevin Cassidy

The honest truth is that I was really stressing over what was going to be a huge turnout. Controlling the start and finish was always going to be a task and a half, something that I couldn’t handle alone. The explosion in numbers over the last few years has been astonishing indeed.

The pre race purchase of the traditional finisher’s chocolate and ceremonial mirrors has always dished up some peculiar scenarios and 2010 was no exception. Unloading 80 blocks of Cadbury at the K-Mart checkout elicited some acutely odd looks while the young Asian girl at the nearby “Bargain Centre” was highly bemused by my recurring visits to continually boost my stock of mirrors as the “starters list” rapidly grew. “More Mirrors”, she’d enthuse with a smile each time I returned. My regular visits became somewhat of a highlight on all but one occasion when I politely held the door open for a mum with a pram, I was initially ignored by the toothless, moccasin clad git only to be given a filthy look as if I’d committed some horrendous crime! I was sorely tempted to slam the door in her face. No doubt she’d have lit up a cigarette the moment she hit the footpath. I felt genuine sympathy towards the baby. We don’t get to select our parents in this world and clearly, the poor little tyke was behind the eight ball the moment it was conceived, but I digress.

Waking at 5am, the dry ground had me convinced that the dire weather predictions would not eventuate. Thirty seconds later, the initial drop of rain fell from the darkened sky and within a minute, the heavens had opened in all their fury.
Motoring down the Frankston freeway, rain and gale force winds lashed my poor little ute. This was the last thing I needed. Along with a head cold that was still lingering, I sunk into a deep state of misery. I tried to think of a less pleasant situation but apart from having Kevin Rudd “running” our beloved country, I couldn’t come up with anything. Anyway, my name isn’t Christine Nixon so I couldn’t desert the ship now.

Pulling into the car park at Frankston, the rain kept belting down and the waves crashing in from Port Phillip Bay reflected the ferocity of the wind, a wind that runners would have to push into all the way to Portsea. Huddling into a small dark alcove for protection, it was here that registrations took place as the hordes started arriving. The most notable arrival, of course, was Maureen Wilson in her newly purchased Morris 1100, replacing her beloved old Datsun that had blown an engine a few weeks earlier on route to the airport, an episode that had the freeway blocked for 30 minutes!!! And a collection of delayed motorist piled up behind angrily waving their fists!!

Countless thanks to Jane Sturzaker who came good with a bright and powerful torch and her husband, Robert, for his pool of headlights. Undoubtedly, the weather kept a few “certain” starters away but ultimately, 66 runners signed in to create the largest field ever, the previous record being 45 in 2008. The check in process went smoothly due to the excellent help from the likes of Tim Ablett, Cameron Gillies, Jane and Robert Sturzaker, Malcolm Gamble, Bruce Payne, Peter Bignell, Mark Swinkels and Sandra Stewart. [Apologies if I missed anyone]. These selfless individuals gave of their time at their own expense to assist at the start, crew for runners during the event and help out again managing the finish. The most significant adjustment in 2010 was the texta numbers. As a “has been” who is fast losing contact with the changes and new and unfamiliar faces in the sport, it was the only way I could track everyone at the finish.

Amongst the starters were runners from Warrnambool and Ballarat in country Victoria, Proserpine in North Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and, believe it or not, Cambodia.

On the dot of 7am, the rain had eased and all except the two early starters set off to the cheers of their many supporters from the main entrance to Kitten’s Strip Club…..well, it USED to be the post office!!

Unquestionably, Magnus Michelsson would be the most highly credentialed runner to have graced this event and it showed right from the start. A World Marathon Championship representative in 2001 and boasting a 2:14 marathon best, Magnus displayed his class early.

With the rain having vanished, the heftily sized field stretched out down the Nepean Highway with the gale force winds causing havoc.

Chasing Magnus were Brett Stickland and the colourful Rohan Day while further back, Clinton Watson, Stuart Elliott and the consistent Tory Trewhitt found their rhythm. Tory was being well crewed for by World and Olympic swimming champion and one time World record holder, Michael Klim.

Leading the women was the accomplished Jane Allardice. Always smiling, Jane has the ideal disposition for running ultras. Carmen Atkinson was not far back and looking her usual competent self.

As the front of the field passed through 10 kilometres, I caught up with the early starting Brian Glover who was pounding away comfortably and consistently.

The need to stay at the front of the field forced me to miss most of the mid pack action which I would ideally liked to have seen and recorded. Regardless, I did manage to make some quick drives back through the field to check on proceedings.

At approximately two hours, the weather deteriorated into a shocking hailstorm. Visibility was reduced to almost zero and I had to pull my car off the road. This was a time of genuine worry for me with runners and traffic sharing the road and the main pack negotiating the most exposed section of the course near the Dromana drive-in. Fortunately, it abated within ten minutes and blue sky re emerged. Make no bones about it, 2010 dished up the most horrid weather conditions that I have ever seen here in my 21 year association as either a runner and/or organiser.

At one point, I leapt out of the car to snap a photo of Michelle Donnelly and I could barely hold myself upright. Michelle was bent into the punishing wind. “Hopefully it will be bit easier once I turn at Safety Beach” she mumbled feebly. A weak smile was my only reaction as we both knew it would remain hurricane like all the way to Portsea.

I did manage to sneak back to the rear of the field at 25 kilometres to find Bruce Payne and Berny Hughes competently dishing up drinks for the weary runners. Berny is a constant source of extroverted enthusiasm who could talk under water. Afterwards, countless runners made mention of the boost they got on route from her inimitable form of encouragement!

Tailing the field, Hayley White was not having the best of times. To make things worse, her parents who were crewing for her had gotten lost! Pulling out my mobile phone and with a few Melway discussions, they were soon linked up!

Driving quickly back to the head of the field, Magnus had flown through 30 kilometres in 1:59 and had a lead that was never going to be challenged.

The rain had eased again by this stage and I took the opportunity to quickly duck into a Bakers Delight for some urgent personal refreshment only to be confronted by a clipboard bearing young girl. I’ve no idea what her “cause” was but she become a tad indignant when I informed her that signing petitions was not one of my more predominant activities. Regardless, she was quite an attractive young thing and I wished her well with her endeavours and quickly made haste back to the car almost knocking over an oddly dressed man on the footpath. If you can imagine John Brumby dressed in an Elvis suit, you’d have a fair idea.
Somewhere around the 30 to 35 kilometre marks, women’s leader Jane Allardice started fading and Carmen Atkinson rapidly took over in a strong and commanding manner.

Magnus was now getting close to 50 kilometres at Sorrento having already blown through the marathon point in 2:44. Rushing to catch him up, I got wedged behind a dawdling motorist on the single lane road [and this seems to happen to me EVERY year!]. On this occasion it was an old jalopy of a van covered in bumper stickers. The frizzy bearded driver was obviously a professional protestor. He resembled one of those aliens from “Lost in Space”.

Decorating his back window were the following slogans:

“More Money for Nurses”
“More Teachers Now”
“Keep TAFE Colleges Open”
“No More Dams”
“Ban the Pipeline”
“People Before Profit”
“Free the Refugees”
“No Uranium” [this was a very old sticker!]
“No HoWARd”
“Don’t Bugger the Bay, Bracks”

I’m not sure that I got them all and if they are word perfect but you get my meaning, of course.

As he pulled into a roadside campground, he was everything I expected with his ratty hair and unwashed clothes that would have been ideal if he were a movie extra in “Creature from the Black Lagoon.”

I mused about who he thought might pay for his copious number of demands. Clearly on the gravy train, it definitely wouldn’t be him. Whoops, I’ve digressed again!

With a clear road to Portsea, I was relieved to arrive and prepare for the finish in dry conditions.

Magnus charged into Portsea with a smile of contentment on his face some 15 minutes outside the course record. “I didn’t want to flog myself in this wind with Comrades coming up” he stated flatly as he stopped the watch at 3:45:59. Clearly capable of a sub 3:30 on a good day, I’m hoping to see Magnus here again sooner rather than later.

Brett Stickland held firm to finish second as the ever reliable Tory Trewhitt came through to snatch third from the tiring Rohan Day. Clinton Watson, Stuart Elliot, Baz Skelton and Mick Banfield all hung tough to finish in the top ten.

It was about this stage that I noticed an old but familiar face alighting from a nearby car. You could have knocked me flat with a feather. It was Terry Cox, a star 24 hour and multi day runner during the early 80s. A Rosebud resident, I hadn’t seen him for at least 20 years. He stayed briefly giving encouragement to all.

Ninth overall and first female was Carmen Atkinson in a powerful and polished display over the last 15 kilometres. Celebrating her birthday, Carmen has now chalked up two consecutive Frankston to Portsea victories, or to use a moronic football parlance, “back to back wins”!

Felicity Copp and Maureen Wilson arrived in close succession for the minor placings with the tiring Jane Allardice holding on for fourth.

The bulk of the field come in between hours five and six with many “dead heats” an indication of the shared struggle against the unrelenting gale. The finish line was crammed with cars and supporters in a fashion that I could never have envisaged just a few years ago. So many crews came out to assist both their own runners and anyone else who may have needed assistance on route. Such things are typical of the ultra community. Also, I must add my apologies to the many unfamiliar faces who finished in quick succession. With my memory failing as I advance into old age, most of your names escaped me! Until I got home and sorted everything, you were all just numbers on an A4 sheet of paper!

A particular mention here to Jane Sturzaker and Sandra Stewart who managed to document times and numbers during the “peak hour” with much aplomb. The arrival of Julie Higgins was also a welcome enhancement as she efficiently dished out chocolate and mirrors to the various finishers. “This inspires me so much” she emphatically stated.

David Hughes was over the moon with his performance while there was a very evident choice for the “Guts and Determination” award. Terrie Stevens was visibly distressed as she crossed the line having slogged it out despite hitting trouble as early as 20 kilometres. Courtesy of 2009 winner, John Keats, she collected a bottle of wine for her efforts. All being well, she’ll be fit to consume it by now!

The early starting Peter Gray rolled into Portsea and joins Geoff Hook and Max Gibbs as ten time finishers. Look for Peter to stand alone in 2011 as the most prolific Frankston to Portsea runner.

One specific sprint finish that drew a large roar panned out between Michelle Donnelly and Dane Waites. It was impossible to separate them. Dane is an extraordinary individual. A master of many sports, Dane has represented Australia at the Special Olympics. Simply google his name and you’ll be both mightily impressed and inspired no end.

As the steady flow of runners started to abate, we were treated to the arrival of a Classic Car Rally which had me salivating at all those mint conditioned specimens from the fifties and sixties, the 1966 Mustang being my particular favourite.
The wind hadn’t died any but the arrivals trickled to a halt as Luke Cable meandered into the finish. “They told me I’d never run again” he philosophised.

Asking why, Luke expanded on his sky diving accident two years ago that resulted in two seriously smashed up ankles! In a telling display of courage, he certainly proved his doctors wrong.

Packing up unhurriedly and wandering off from the now deserted finish area, paramount on my mind was the incredible displays of tenacity shown by all who toed the start line in such conditions. My respect for all concerned elevated many notches as the day progressed. In total, only eight runners failed to reach Portsea with seven accounted for. As I write, Dale Thomson remains missing in action. With no reports of bodies found floating in the bay, I’ll assume he is alive and well somewhere.

I toddled alone into Buckley’s Café at Sorrento for a feed and some old fashioned “Daryl Kerrigan” serenity. Spreading a wad of paperwork across the table, I glanced briefly at the older gentleman wearing an odd expression not unlike that of Peter Garret trying to explain his insulation debacle. I was quickly paying him plenty of attention, however, when he inadvertently fell knocking my table and all its contents flying. After tending to his needs and ensuring his well being, I despondently discovered that my paperwork was soaked in coffee, coke and potato soup requiring a delicate drying operation upon the top of the café’s coffee machine and pizza oven.

The drive home was punctuated by a momentary stop to refuel. As I went to pay, I felt it appropriate to mention an inordinately slow pump. ”I’se already knows that but can’t do nuffin’ about it, can I?” snapped the purple haired young thing behind the counter in a manner that glaringly suggested her education went no further than finger painting at pre school. Dressed in a bright red and yellow outfit, she resembled a human rainbow that would not have looked out of place on the set of “Beauty and the Beast”. I fled in an instant.

All in all, I trust that everyone who turned out enjoyed the jaunt to the bottom end of the Nepean Highway. So big has this run become, that several things will require “enhancement” for 2011. Such things will be very much sorted in the lead up.

Edition 39 of this event is set down for Sunday April 3rd, 2011

Runners Comments

Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles

Sunday 5th April 2009

1.	John Keats	3:46:16
2.	Kurt Hourigan	4:24:09
3.	Rohan Day	4:24:56
4.	Robert Hall	4:25:56
5.	Kelvin Marshall	4:32:44
6.	Kazuya Nakatani	4:35:09
7.	Michael Lovric	4:37:41
8.	Cameron Staggard	4:40:26
9.	Tory Trewhitt	4:43:49
10.	Matt McNamara	4:49:03
11.	Carmen Atkinson [F]	4:51:17
12.	Steve Preece	4:54:08
13.	Chris McTaggart	4:54:51
14.	James Clarke	4:56:18
15.	Ngoh Ngoh Nestor [F]	4:56:44
16.	Nic Marie	4:57:33
17.	Robert Boyce	5:01:15
18.	Kevin Lieberthal	5:03:03
19.	Lachlan Fraser	5:12:20
19.	Barry Rosenberg	5:12:20
21.	Katherine Shone [F]	5:13:27
22.	Bruce Hargreaves	5:18:14
23.	Ashley Murdoch	5:18:50
23.	Andrew Wood	5:18:50
25.	Stephen van der Tang	5:23:36
26.	Ali Holmes [F]	5:33:12
27.	Richard McCormick	5:36:12
28.	David Spencer	5:38:38
29.	Kristine Banks-Smith [F]	5:45:14
29.	Paul Baird	5:45:14
31.	Alan Marlow	5:47:38
32.	Phillip Crawford	5:54:36
33.	John Dobson	6:06:10
34.	Kym Williams	6:13:18
35.	Andrew Herman	6:46:35
36.	Brian Glover	6:50:23
37.	Hugh Hunter	7:04:22
38.	Shadi Samir	7:19:20
39.	Ahmed Al Mansoori	8:34:02
40.	Peter Gray	10:23:53

Lauren Lieberthal [F] DNF 50k in 5:36:34
Travis Giansiracusa DNF 42.2k in 3:26:09
Julie Green DNF 42.2k in 3:43:22

Report by Kevin Cassidy

Churches and Town Halls are generally the types of structures that come to mind when the term “Heritage Listed” gets bandied about. Imagine my bemusement when Melbourne’s daily newspaper, the Herald-Sun, reported the recent heritage listing of the building that houses the highly controversial Kitten’s strip club that adorns the very corner in which our race gets underway. Our city leaders never cease to perplex with the decisions they make. This one is right up with the best of them. Exactly what drugs they are popping is anyone’s guess.

Kelvin Marshall amused me a few days prior by inquiring if the run was still going ahead. His trepidation being that I may have fallen victim to an underworld assassination at the hands of the Dean Karnazes fan club. Enough said there, I guess!
Further pre race “hair tearing” involved a computer crash four days prior requiring a lengthy consultation with an Indian help desk. It was 5:30am in New Delhi as the seductively voiced woman took me through the essential steps of regaining my cyberspace access.

12 months ago, in his absence, I thought I would be free of the bag of coins that Max Gibbs insists on handing over as his entry fee each year. Sneakily, Max had worded up Maureen Wilson who then inflicted the same upon me in 2008. A practical joke having grown of my own doing, I can hardly grizzle. 2009 brought on the absence of both Max and Maureen but I was not spared the hefty collection of silver. A box of 10 cent coins arrived on my doorstep a couple of days prior courtesy of the incomparable Maureen. It seems she never forgets. Regardless, her contribution of the bottle of wine for the first female secured her return to the good books, a kindly gesture from a woman whose most distinguished claims to fame include locking her keys in the car, turning up to a run having forgotten her shoes and fitting her bike wheel backwards during a triathlon!! Oh, and did I mention her age group win at the Australian Ironman Triathlon?

Being much better prepared for a bumper crowd this year, I had done everything I could before race day so as to avoid the mad dashes I’ve had to make mid race the last two years. I become a regular at the local “Two Dollar Shop” by buying their complete stock of mirrors on at least four occasions, much to the sniggering bewilderment of the staff. A trip to Woolworths secured a quantity of envelopes and CDs. I then wandered over to a nearby ALDI and stocked up on the traditional blocks of chocolate. I made a less than taxing executive decision to replace the usual Cadbury chocolate with an organic choice brand. Put simply, it was all I could locate in the discount supermarket.

I was thrilled when Wendy Crebbin accepted an invitation to be our “celebrity starter”. Wendy [more often referred to as Pink Lady] was one of our more prominent middle distance runners of her time and trained diligently under Percy Cerutty at Portsea. She still visits Percy’s widow, Nancy, quite frequently. Wendy reports that Nancy is as sharp as a tack and bubbling with life despite her 96 years.

The assembled field had travelled from many points of Australia. Adelaide, Brisbane, The Gold Coast, Launceston, Sydney, Mildura and Warrnambool were all represented in the annual charge down the Mornington Peninsula. Arguably, the lengthiest journey to the start line was made by Lachlan Fraser. Lachlan’s appearance typified the old saying of “You can’t keep a good man down”. Having lost his home and medical practice in the horrific fires that destroyed Marysville, Lachlan’s ability to rebound back to normality has been both heartening and astonishing. As one of the prime movers in the emotional and material reconstruction of his picturesque and beloved town, it was our privilege to hand Lachlan all the entry money to assist with what will undoubtedly be a prolonged process. Mindful of this, many runners gladly pitched in amounts in excess of the standard ten dollar entry. Illness prevented Tony Chow making it to the start, so he snail mailed a cheque for $50. What gentleman and half. All up, we were able to hand over approximately $550 for the benefit of the Marysville community.

The recent popularity of South Africa’s Comrades Marathon amongst Australian runners has been the catalyst for our upsurge in numbers. The time slot on the calendar makes for a perfect lead up.

With a simple “GO”, the delightful Wendy sent the 43 runners on their way from the shadows of the newly listed “Heritage Strip Club”. Embarrassingly, I have the misfortune of living in the same street as the owner of this questionable establishment.
In an instant, Kurt Hourigan and John Keats had bolted ahead establishing a sizeable gap in the first 20 kilometres. Rohan Day was scooting along nicely in his colourful attire matched only by his equally colourful car. Kelvin Marshall was sporting some serious headgear and a thick bushy beard. He did not look dissimilar to Osama Bin Laden on route to an Al Qaeda committee meeting.

Robert Hall, Tory Trewhitt and Michael Lovric all looked content as they settled into the rhythm that would carry them to Portsea.

Crossing the freeway just after the 20 kilometre mark, the highway was sporting a lengthy string of runners. James Clarke, Chris McTaggart, Steve Preece and Cameron Staggard were all within sight of each other. Further back, Kym Williams, David Spencer and Richard McCormick were sensibly pacing themselves. Meanwhile, two long time legends of Australian distance running, John Dobson and Bruce Hargreaves, ran side by side through the first half. John and Bruce are amongst the few to have run all 31 Melbourne Marathons.

Ngoh Ngoh Nestor was leading the women ahead of Carmen Atkinson in what ultimately became an absorbing battle. Katherine Shone and Ali Holmes remained close by and looked threatening.

It was during this section that the ultra world’s spirit of mutual cooperation began beating strongly. Runners without crews were now benefiting from the attention of the crews of their fellow competitors, attention that was given willingly and in the highest of spirits.

Additional assistance to all was the presence and efforts of Steve Hyde, Brett Saxon, Malcolm Gamble and Sandra Stewart. These four selfless individuals turned out of their own accord with a stunning array of drinks and energy inducing snacks which they transported up and down the course keeping the entire field satisfied and smiling. These guys were priceless. They didn’t even ask for any fuel reimbursement! Malcolm added a hefty degree of novelty value by dishing out the Gatorade in cocktail glasses!!
Through Moats Corner and onto the beachside road at Safety Beach, John Keats was flying and looking fresher than a salad roll in a crisper. John was being capably looked after by his good lady wife. Also at Moats Corner were Chris McTaggart’s family, whose vehicle boasts a number plate of “BEFIT”. Two very attractive women in a black BMW were merrily serving up drinks to the seven runners that comprised the “Tribal Team”.

Still chasing hard in second place. Kurt Hourigan was running unassisted, never having previously tackled anything longer than 20 kilometres.

Needing to stay near the front of the field, I basically missed most of the midfield action as the race advanced firmly into the second half along Point Nepean Road with Port Phillip Bay providing a gorgeous aquatic sight for the remaining distance. I learnt later that Ngoh Ngoh Nestor had decided to take a walkabout tour near the 30 kilometre mark by turning left up onto the freeway. Despite losing several minutes, she returned to the correct course still holding onto her lead.

I caught up with the early starting Peter Gray in the vicinity of the 40 kilometre point near Rye as the race leader, John Keats, shot passed the marathon point in 2:45. The inexperienced Kurt Hourigan looked to be out on his feet as a couple of us kept him watered and fed. He struggled through the marathon in 3:07 as Chris McTaggart and Kazuya Nakatani bore down upon him and appearing set to take over the battle for second place.

With the day’s proceedings seemingly under some form of semi control, I pulled into the trendy shopping strip in Blairgowrie for the all important acquisition of some personal sustenance in the form of a cheese and cauliflower pie washed down with a litre and a half of diet coke. Clearly, this kaleidoscope of shops had transformed in recent years to evolve as the local “notice me” area with a hefty percentage of brightly dressed patrons resembling the proverbial mutton dressed as lamb! One ageing woman, in particular, really impressed with her six inches of make up that had clearly been applied with a trowel, eyebrows that would put Tammy Baker to shame, leather pants that appeared to have been rejected by a C grade movie wardrobe and a tiny chihuahua dog clad in a bright pink doggie coat safely tucked under her arm. Her butterfly glasses and rigid hair that refused to move in the wind completed what was an acutely odd looking life form. Regardless, she strolled along the street wearing a facial expression that suggested she thought her name was Paris Hilton. Perhaps she was!!

Needing to get to the Portsea finish with haste, I motored off. In less time than a political backflip, an old rusty van appeared at a side road, drove out in front of me forcing me into a sudden screeching halt and then proceeded down the single lane highway at the pace of a dope smoking tortoise. He was furiously text messaging with one hand and holding both a newspaper and the steering wheel with the other as he drifted across all sections of the road. Traffic quickly piled up behind him. I had a very strong urge to grab him by the neck and squeeze the life out of him. He eventually turned off oblivious to the chaos he had created.

Catching up with the lead at the 50 kilometre mark in Sorrento, I was dumbfounded to see that Kurt had resurrected himself and had pushed on to maintain his second position in a genuinely commendable comeback.

Quickly setting up the finish, which involved the simple task of opening a fold out table, I stopped the watch at 3:46:16 with John Keats producing the fourth fastest time in history. The long journey from Warrnambool had proved fruitful indeed. Kurt Hourigan collapsed across the line to snatch second place in a seriously gutsy performance just holding out Rohan Day and Robert Hall who were separated by a matter of seconds. Kelvin Marshall came home in a course P.B.

“That’s an hour quicker than last year”, beamed a happy Matt McNamara who was amongst the 16 runners to break five hours. The steady pace by Carmen Atkinson paid dividends as she overtook the tiring Ngoh Ngoh Nestor in the final stages to take the women’s prize by a margin of five minutes. Ngoh Ngoh was left pondering the outcome of her wrong turn back in Dromana.

A persistent drizzle set in as the clock ticked beyond five hours, bringing with it a substantial drop in temperature.

Robert Boyce finished steadily. How he managed to survive five hours without the vital updates of the current cricket score remained a mystery. We were all treated to a stunning sprint finish by Lachlan Fraser and Barry Rosenberg that produced a dead heat. In fact, Lachlan appears keen on these close finishes, having done similarly here 12 months ago!

Slowly, finishers were piling into any spare car seats they could find for the return to Frankston as others continued to flow into Portsea. Katherine Shone looked good crossing the line in third place amongst the women while Ashley Murdoch and Andrew Wood came in together.

Stephan van der Tang appeared dissatisfied with his time while Ali Holmes couldn’t stop smiling. Kym Williams and David Spencer came through the field most impressively to record excellent finishes. The happy couple of Paul Baird and Kristine Banks-Smith ran side by side from go to whoa. Peter Gray arrived having set out at 2am in his 232nd ultra in what has been a lengthy and illustrious career. Peter happened upon a pair of pliers on the roadside, a discovery that pleased him no end.

Phillip Crawford and Brian Glover were outstanding examples of consistency, both knocking out almost identical times to 2008.
Ecstatic with his second finish here, Andrew Herman was greeted by his large extended family who celebrated his run in the most excited of fashions!

The majority of runners and crews had long gone as I awaited the arrival of the final two runners, Shadi Samir and Ahmed Al Mansoori. As I waited patiently, an ancient looking Rolls Royce crawled slowly into the finish area. A rather pompous man of advanced years alighted in a manoeuvre that looked more demanding than selling ducted heating units in the Mojave Desert. He stared intently at the large “Point Nepean National Park” sign, turned and gave me one of those judgmental expressions, then inquired “Is this Point Nepean National Park”?, “I doubt that it’s the Grand Canyon”, I fired back not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Climbing back into his ancient jalopy in as equally a lengthy procedure as his original manoeuvre, he putt putted into the car park. His heftily built female passenger would not have looked out of place in a sumo wrestling match.

Shadi finished strongly with a grin of delight while Ahmed plodded into Portsea some time later.

Driving both Shadi and Ahmed back to Frankston, we happened upon a wedding party in Sorrento’s main street. I cracked up laughing as Shadi mumbled “condolences” in his politely toned voice!

Two of the newest faces on the ultra scene, I inquired of their motivation. “We just thought we’d try ultras” replied Shadi as Ahmed nodded enthusiastically in agreement. The Great Ocean Road Marathon looms as their next challenge.

I dropped the two guys at the Frankston railway station and quietly headed home to the company of the ABC radio news.

Apparently, in between abusing airline staff and advising Barack Obama how to do his job, Kevin Rudd is planning a brief visit to Australia.

If the 2010 Frankston to Portsea run appeals to you in anyway, scratch a circle around Sunday April 11th and I’ll see you then.

Runners Comments

Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles

6th April 2008

1.	Antony Rickards	3:30:49 [Course Record]
2.	David Eadie	3:53:54
3.	Mike Wheatley	4:07:24
4.	Mal Grimmett	4:25:52
5.	Scott Orchard	4:28:26
6.	Tory Trewhitt	4:31:07
7.	Drew Arthurson	4:31:49
8.	Kelly Duhig	4:51:13
9.	Lachlan Fraser	4:51:14
10.	Peter Appelman	4:52:20
11.	Robert Boyce	4:54:47
12.	Chavaporn Theppadungporn	4:58:17
13.	Maureen Wilson [F]	4:58:33
14.	Stephen van der Tang	5:06:15
15.	Kevin Smart	5:06:50
16.	John Dobson	5:25:04
17.	Christian Johnson	5:27:09
18.	Sharon Scholz [F]	5:27:32
19.	George Thomas	5:31:23
20.	Melinda Christensen [F]	5:36:24
21.	David Spencer	5:39:07
22.	Matt McNamara	5:41:01
22.	Geoff Carroll	5:41:01
24.	Jane Adlam [F]	5:42:09
25.	Paul Ban	5:42:32
26.	Michelle Thompson [F]	5:53:55
27.	Phil Crawford	5:54:09
28.	David Stevens	5:56:45
29.	Sue Smart [F]	6:03:00
30.	Meredith Hill [F]	6:04:31
31.	Michelle King [F]	6:04:49
32.	Andy Spalding	6:32:25
33.	Brian Glover	6:47:32
34.	Stella Ashton [F]	6:54:56
35.	Peter Gray	8:34:45

Scott Cunningham DNF 50km
Michelle Blake [F] DNF 50km
Joseph Thompson DNF 45km
Andrew Herman DNF 42km 4:59:09
Nita-Kay Le May [F] DNF 42km 6:15:00
Peter Bignell DNF 40km
Megan Szirom [F] DNF 35km
Rob Saunders DNF 25km
Penny Meeking [F] DNF 25km
Leesa Huguenin [F] DNF 22km

Report by Kevin Cassidy, Race Director

The pungent aromatic assault emitting from the Carrum sewer farm was difficult to ignore in the morning darkness on route to Frankston. Twirling the radio dial, I stumbled across that ridiculous “Buy, Swap and Sell” program. This is where complete morons try to offload their junk to other brain dead morons. Bent up laughing at an old biddy enthusing about a second hand pair of shoelaces for 85 cents, I turned my car into our “official” meeting point in the car park behind the infamous Kittens strip club. Already, those wishing to avail themselves of the early start option were milling about in preparation. With Kittens having just closed for the night, we had the joyous company of several alcohol fuelled patrons. You’d make a lengthy journey indeed to see a sleazier more lecherous gaggle of losers.

Having sent our four early starters on their way at varying intervals, I sat at my little card table in a rather flabbergasted state of mind as people arrived from all directions filling the car park and surrounds quicker than cricket players send lurid text messages.

By the time we had everything sorted, the field had reached an unprecedented 45 starters, indicative of the ultra world’s explosion in interest. Amongst the field were visitors from the USA and UK and one from Tasmania. One notable absentee was the incomparable Max Gibbs who had forsaken his 11th run here in favour of the Australian Ironman in Port Macquarie. A number of years ago, Max innocently paid his five dollar entry fee with a few gold coins. Now we all love Max for the fact that he prints the excellent certificates for this event, however, I grasped the opportunity [not letting the truth ruin a good story!!] to bag him mercilessly in print claiming with much exaggeration that he had handed me a bag full of five cent coins. His revenge has been to pay in that very manner ever since. Thinking his absence this year would allow me a reprieve, imagine my astonishment when Maureen Wilson laughingly plonked a bag of silver coins in front of me smugly declaring “That’s from Max Gibbs”.

Numerous new faces, a large female contingent and several regulars crowded onto the footpath beside the Davey Street pedestrian lights and the largest ever charge down the peninsula was underway with a succession of crew vehicles in tow. With ferocious storms having desecrated Melbourne a few days prior, debris on the course was a genuine concern. A fear, however, that never eventuated.

Having packed up my table and with 20 minutes on the race clock, I was keen to link up with proceedings down the highway. Getting breath tested by the highway patrol was the last thing I expected as I drove out of the car park but to quote the tattoo on a notorious footballer’s stomach, “Such is Life”.

The large field had spread expansively over the first five kilometres. Antony Rickards, who boasts a 2:21 marathon and is still improving, had shot off like a rocket with Drew Arthurson in second. David Eadie and Scott Orchard ran together in third place with four time winner, Mike Wheatley in the unfamiliar position of fifth.

Amongst the women, national class race walker, Megan Szirom was flying like a startled gazelle and duelling with the accomplished Mal Grimmett. Further back through the field, most were finding their rhythm and settling into the pace that would convey them to Portsea.

Passing through 20 kilometres, David Eadie had caught Antony Rickards to share the lead as they ran through Moats Corner where a local resident in brightly coloured gum boots appeared oblivious to our water restrictions as he furiously washed his broom with a large hose that had water flooding most of the roadway in the most wasteful of fashions. Scott and Drew remained close in third and fourth with the master of pace, Mike Wheatley, closing in. Further back, Robert Boyce, Michelle Thompson, Tory Trewitt and Maureen Wilson were just a few of those in the main pack proceeding well. Soon after, Andy Spalding and the group of women I’d cheekily named “The Mothers Club” came smiling by in high spirits as they careered along at a decent old clip towards the halfway point in Dromana where the course links up with the Port Phillip Bay shoreline. The most pertinent observation at this point was the spirit of mutual co operation that exists amongst the ultra community. Many crews were not only looking after their own runners, but doing anything required to see that every competitor was kept well fed and watered. It’s difficult to remember everyone but particular mention should be made of the sterling support offered by David and Berny Hughes, Pisamai Boyce and Justin Scholz. At their own expense, these selfless individuals had stocked their vehicles with a variety of energy inducing goodies and acted commendably as mobile aid stations for whoever wished to avail themselves to the treats on offer.

Bringing up the rear of the field was the bubbly Stella Ashton enjoying the day, I didn’t actually realise she was at the rear as I wandered further back down the course leaping out of my car with my camera at the ready and offering water to a rather bemused young girl jogging along the road. With an instinct that all was not as it seemed, I asked if she was in the race.
“No, I always run along here on a Sunday” she mumbled in a confused tone of voice.

Realising my utter stupidity, I apologised profusely for my interruption, promising not to inconvenience her again. A pert but unconvincing smile was her only reaction.

With most of the field having gone through half way, some mental arithmetic had me realising that Antony was well in advance of record pace and if I didn’t hightail it down to Portsea, I’d miss his finish, an unforgivable and deplorable situation should it occur. Further, I still had to make the purchase of 45 blocks of the traditional Cadbury chocolate for each finisher, an episode that took on a hefty degree of panic with time now being of the essence.

I urgently sped down the highway passing runners, quickly throwing a drink in the direction of Mal Grimmett, before arriving in a cloud of dust at the front door of the Rye Safeway. I leapt from the car, shirt fronted an amply proportioned slow moving individual attempting to exit the main door and urgently threw numerous armfuls of chocolate into the basket. Barging past a group of teenagers to avail the checkout ahead of them, they gave me the most bemused of expressions, suggesting perhaps that they thought I had some serious addiction. The check out girl was remarkably efficient despite her revolting array of body piercings, however I could’ve happily shot the craggy faced and somewhat plumpish women in the next isle who wanted to bail me up with photos of her newly born grand child!! Obviously, the addition to her family was a joyous occasion. But why, God help me, she expected me to match her enthusiasm for the little tyke beggars belief.

Quickly running back through the car park and affording a cursory glance at a shabbily dressed and heavily tattooed man inquiring if I could “lend him a smoke”, I “road raged” my way through the otherwise sleepy beachside towns of Blairgowrie and Sorrento acutely aware of the very real probability that a speed camera operator may be mailing me a less than cheery letter in the near future. At the 50 kilometre mark, I’d accounted for all competitors including David Eadie who had, by this time, dropped off Antony’s unrelenting pace. I was genuinely in panic mode with Antony still out of sight. Imagine my untold relief when I finally found him formidably bounding over the undulations into Portsea still some two kilometres from the finish. Breathing a massive sigh, I mentioned that a new course record was looking good. “He’s gunna smash it”, boomed his bike riding associates as Antony himself gave a knowing and contented smile.

Hastily setting up the finish at the gates to Portsea’s Point Nepean National Park, Antony hammered up the final ascent to smash the 18 year old course record by a whopping 12 minutes. Looking relaxed, he jogged off down the road for a cool down run! Next up on Antony’s agenda is the Great Ocean Road Marathon. Surely, he wouldn’t be looking at anything less than first place
Reminiscent of the charge of the light brigade, the flood of runners started arriving amongst the surrounds of Victoria’s most desirable and expensive real estate. The accomplished David Eadie was next with an admirable sub four hour performance relegating Mike Wheatley to third. Mike’s previous four runs here have all produced wins. Although missing a PB, Mal Grimmett came through the field to mow down the tiring Scott Orchard and Drew Arthurson while Tory Trewhitt was delighted with his form leading up to the Comrades marathon. Crews congregating at the finish were treated to the spectacle of Kelly Duhig’s ferocious final 200 metres in which he managed to pip Lachlan Fraser by a margin smaller than Brendan Nelson’s approval rating.

In rapid succession, the bulk of the field rolled in. Peter Appelman, Robert Boyce, Chavaporn Theppadungporn and Maureen Wilson all snuck under five hours. Maureen snared the women’s prize with Megan Szirom having called it a day back in Rosebud. Kevin Smart and Stephen van der Tang crossed the line in sight of each other by which stage several finishers were relaxing and enthusing over their PB’s, of which there were many in the marvellous conditions. Others were comparing their Garmins. Call me a tiresome old fogey, but I find it arduous coping with these new fangled what-cha-ma-call-its.

The procession continued in the five hour bracket with thirteen runners reaching Portsea along with the early starting Peter Gray and Brian Glover in highly respectable showings. Amongst these were second and third women, Sharon Scholz and Melinda Christensen, along with Matt McNamara and Geoff Carroll who ran the entire distance together decked out in their distinctive and eye catching “Six Foot Track” attire.

Hectic was a description that barely afforded justice to the finish area as six hours ticked over. Soon after, we were welcoming Michelle King and Meredith Hill as news of the various DNF’s filtered through. Andrew Herman was looking for a marathon time to qualify for the Comrades Marathon and stopped upon achieving his goal while our American visitor’s ambitions were also attained at the marathon point in Rye. Nita-Kay Le May has knocked out 50 marathons in 50 US states and was now collecting an Aussie version of the same. This was her Victorian marathon with Canberra scheduled for the following week.

A slow trickle of runners and crews began leaving with two competitors yet to make an appearance. Andy Spalding arrived to the raucous cheers of a sizable and enthusiastic band of female fans. Evidently, Andy had pulled off something special but it was only upon inquiry that I was able to elicit the complete and inspiring Andy Spalding story. After lap band surgery in August 2005, Andy dropped a staggering 53 kilograms in weight and now works as a personal trainer. His satisfied feeling of accomplishment was impossible to hide as he beamed proudly.

Pumping her fists in the air, Stella Ashton’s finish in a tad under seven hours was an episode all on its own. Like Andy, she had undergone a massive weight loss totalling 55 kilograms. Add to that her vision impairment, and you soon get a comprehension of her dramatic life changing journey. Further still was her achilles tendon injury that grew to a greater magnitude than “Jana’s knee”. Stella was bubbling with a bucket load of euphoria as she crossed the line to the applause of her crew [David and Berny Hughes].

“Now I’m an Ultrarunner” she blurted with more excitement than a five year old on Christmas morning.

Stella and David were never going to threaten the leaders but you’d negotiate the length and breadth of Australia to find bigger winners. Literally, both are half the people they used to be!

Alone now as the last of our runners departed, I was listlessly enjoying the peaceful and solitary ambience as I packed up when a Volvo with Queensland number plates [a very scary double if ever there’s one!] sidled up beside me.

“Scuse me mate, are you wiff da protest?”, Inquired the wild haired driver in reference to the very public quest to stop the dredging in the bay that was underway a short distance off the Portsea beach.

“No”, I snapped in a tone that I very much hoped would extinguish any chance of further conversation.

“You’se dunno where it is, do ya?” He continued.

“No”, I again insisted emphatically as he departed dejectedly to my immense relief.

A somewhat odd looking life form that resembled a genetic experiment gone horribly wrong, he really did give me a mighty case of the spooks with his unusual crinkly squint. I can put it no other way.

Pointing the car in the direction of home, I picked up on a football broadcast where some AFL players had generously taken time out from their busy schedules of urinating in public and drunkenly beating up night club patrons to participate in a football game. A few more twirls of the dial and I was blissfully listening to a David Bowie feature for the remainder of the drive.

The 37th Percy Cerutty Frankston to Portsea event is scheduled for April 5th, 2009.

Runners Comments

Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles

Sunday, 1st April 2007

1.	Brian Trower	4:08:19
2.	Tory Trewitt	4:15:12
3.	Mal Grimmett	4:18:03
4.	Tim Kenington	4:18:28
5.	John Nuttall	4:31:59
6.	Will Downey	4:38:32
7.	Brendan Mason	4:53:54
8.	Peter Bignell	4:54:24
9.	Michael Lovric	4:58:17
10.	Robert Boyce	5:12:54
11.	Sarah Drummond [F]	5:22:17
12.	Danny Cole	5:26:14
13.	Ben Cotter	5:32:26
14.	Stephen Van Der Tang	5:34:40
15.	Michelle Blake [F]	5:53:27
16.	Ben Liuzzi	5:53:27
17.	John Dobson	6:24:30
18.	Ernie Hartley	6:28:33
19.	Brian Glover	6:40:55
20.	David Jones	6:57:49
21.	Dee Greenwood [F]	7:13:02
22.	Peter Gray	9:06:25

Chantal Keyser DNF 42.2km in 4:46:58
Andrew Herman DNF 42.2km
Liam Staines DNF

Report by Race Director, Kevin Cassidy

There could be no more appropriate date than April Fools Day for a 55km jaunt down the Mornington Peninsula. More appropriate, however, was that it was the day our state government enhanced their inability to handle our drought by introducing a new level of water restrictions known as “Stage 3A”! Motoring down the Frankston Freeway, the 6am news featured “Water Minister”, John Thwaites. “Without rain, our water storages will continue to drop”, he said knowingly in one of those dizzy moments of inspired and incisive brilliance.

Make no mistake, I was feeling like the proverbial “Has Been” when half the field who descended upon the car park behind Frankston’s “Kitten’s Strip Club” were runners I had never met, let alone recognised. The usual suspects turned up, of course, but I was guessing that most of the younger brigade had probably never heard of Percy Cerutty. With this in mind, I felt a bit of a history lesson was in order prior to setting off. The famed athletic coach produced numerous champions at his Portsea camp. The journey from Frankston was a course used by several world beaters as part of Percy’s gruelling training schedule in the 50’s and early 60’s. Deemed eccentric by the establishment of the day, history has proved him to have been 40 years ahead of his time.

With two runners embarking on an early start [Peter Gray and David Jones], the remaining 23 starters hit the road for Portsea some 55km south at the bottom of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Thanks to the once unimaginable marvels of the internet, what has been a low key event for a handful of runners for so many years has grown rapidly. 25 runners was a record field. There may have been 26,000 runners at the “Run For The Kids” up in the city but they sure couldn’t boast our long history.
In an excellent example of the fellowship that exists amongst the ultra fraternity, Andrew Hewat and Richard McCormick sacrificed their own chances of running to assist on the day by acting as roving aid stations. They both even refused my offer of fuel money!

The first panic of the day occurred only minutes after the start. As we watched the departing runners disappear down the Nepean Highway, Andrew’s 30 year old Kombi Van which he affectionately refers to as the “Mother Ship” failed to start!! “No Worries” he enthused as my heart started to palpitate, “I’ve got a second battery and I’ll have it going in a tick”. Much to my immense relief, he was soon on the road with a stock of drinks and substantial array of various tempting treats to sustain the runners.
John Nuttal and Michael Lovric were visiting from Townsville and Sydney respectively while Chantal Keyser from Hobart joined the field of four women. With female participation being rare here over the years, it was a welcome boost.

In the space of 10 kilometres, Mal Grimmett had shot to a substantial lead and the field had stretched considerably passing the Silver’s Circus that had set up for business in front of the local Bunnings hardware store. The thought of voyeuristic people forking out money to see maltreated and humiliated animals perform “tricks” made my stomach turn.

First timers Brian Trower, Tim Kenington, Stephen van der Tang, Tory Tewitt and Will Downey were all going strong and looking confident. Further back were many seasoned veterans running their own races in the knowledge of what lay ahead. Peter Bignell was powering along in his third appearance here while Brendan Mason, Michael Lovric and Ben Cotter linked up ahead of Robert Boyce. Towards the rear was Ernie Hartley, Andrew Herman and the indefatigable ultra walker, Brian Glover, setting his usual steady and consistent pace.

Amongst the women, Sarah Drummond had bolted away from Michelle Blake, Dee Greenwood and Chantal Keyser. Michelle was running with Ben Luizzi while Dee was enjoying the journey with her numerous supporters. Chantal was moving steadily near the rear in what was an episode all on its own. Chantal had arrived the previous night at the airport forgetting her credit card and unable to hire a car. Adding to this, she had booked a return flight for 4pm the next day unaware that the Airport was 130km from Portsea. A degree of car shuffling on the Saturday night got her to her Frankston motel but returning to the airport on time the next day was simply impossible. Given that her goal was to qualify for the Comrades marathon, all she needed was a 42km marathon time. With a bit of planning, Chantal reached that point at the Rye Pier then jumped into a pre arranged taxi!! By the time the last runner had arrived at Portsea, Chantal was devouring a hearty dinner back home in Hobart with a qualifying run under her belt. She’ll be lining up for a 10th Comrades finish in June, a meritorious achievement indeed. As a newly arrived ex pat South African, we keenly look forward to seeing more of Chantal around the ultra scene.

Ignoring conventional running attire, Sarah Drummond was clad in a bright pink skirt and black long sleeved woollen jumper. Looking substantially younger than her 23 years and with a long loping stride, an astute observer would have thought her unlikely to last very long as she kept pace with the experienced Danny Cole.

With the race having progressed through the undulating first half and onto the beach road at Dromana, runners were treated to the enchanting sight of Port Phillip Bay at its inimitable best. The water was crystal clear and as flat as an ice rink.
Passing through the Dromana shopping strip, Mal Grimmett’s big lead was being gobbled up rapidly with Brian Trower surging ahead looking like he had just warmed up for a 12 round bout with Mike Tyson. Brian had been getting advice from Mike Wheatley, a master with several previous sub four hour performances over this course.

With my two able assistants taking care of the middle and rear of the field, I remained near the front runners, therefore missing the bulk of the mid field action in the second half.

Brian and Mal duelled for the lead going through McCrae where a new shopping complex had sprung up in recent months. Mindful of the fact that fools and their money are easily parted, developers had built a stunning array of cheap and nasty retail outlets stocked heavily with products of the “I never knew I needed” variety.

With Brian now a clear leader, I grabbed a couple of red wines for our respective winners from a wine store in Rye staffed by a youngster who had obviously made a recent heavy investment in a large tub of pimple cream.

Brian careered home for a solid win with youngster, Tory Trewitt, working through the field for second. Another first timer, Tim Kenington almost ran down Mal Grimmett for third over the final 200 metres with the dependable Queenslander, John Nuttall, steady in fifth. With sciatic pain raising its ugly head, Mal’s pace had diminished somewhat in the later stages.

Will Downey was another to put in an excellent first time performance while the guru himself, Brendan Mason, took over an hour off his 2006 time by ferociously overtaking the tiring Peter Bignell in the most potent of fashions just 400 metres from the line.

Still powering along and leaving Danny Cole in her wake, Sarah Drummond ran into Portsea displaying her distinctive loping style and with her proud parents by her side. Still clad in that long sleeved jumper and looking for all the world as if she had just enjoyed a short jog, her satisfied smile was bigger than the Queen Mary. Sarah’s run raised many admiring eyebrows. Word has it that she trains by charging up the hills in the Dandenong Ranges producing more sparks than fireworks at a Mexican fiesta.
Michelle Blake finished strongly for second with the inspired Dee Greenwood third. “Oooh, it’s a long way” laughed Dee as she crossed the line to the raucous applause from her large contingent of supporters.

Also arriving at Portsea was John Dobson who courts much fame as a member of the elite 13 who have completed all 29 Melbourne Marathons.

Relaxing at the finish, Robert Boyce, Ben Cotter, Stephen van der Tang and Michael Lovric were all wearing satisfied facial expressions as they sat discussing the day’s proceedings in the most serious of manners. Ernie Hartley was already looking ahead. In three weeks time, he’ll be pursuing a third consecutive 12 hour win at the Coburg 24 Hour Carnival.

With the bulk of the field having completed their days work, the otherwise peaceful ambience of the area surrounding the Portsea finish was split by an overtly enthusiastic individual housed nearby who took it upon himself to practice his drums. Trust me, he was seriously devoid of musical talent. Things deteriorated further when a gaggle of oddly dressed tourists alighted their vehicle puffing on cigarettes, rudely fouling the previously fresh and charming atmosphere. A mandatory five year gaol term for such offences will be my paramount priority when I become Prime Minister!!

Early starter, Peter Gray was the final finisher in his 199th Ultra!! He’ll bring up his 200th at the Coburg 24 Hour Carnival, a race he’ll be running for the 20th time!!

In keeping with the long standing tradition, each finisher received a block of chocolate and ceremonial mirror. Purchasing the entire stock of mirrors from my local “Two Dollar Shop” during the week had the young shop assistant advising me not to drop them. “That’ll be a lot of bad luck” she laughed, “At seven years per mirror, it’ll guarantee several lifetimes of misery”.
In total, nine runners finished under five hours with 15 under six hours. The depth being reminiscent of the early 90’s.

With only Peter Gray and myself remaining at the finish, we pointed the car towards Frankston with the radio blaring news of a win by one of the AFL football teams. Proving it to be a game of recycled clichés, the coach was emphatic that they had won by doing the “one percenters” , would only take things “one week at a time” , hope to maintain their standard “week in, week out” and would be “looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead”.

Barring nuclear attack or the onset of the next ice age, the Frankston to Portsea race will be run again on Sunday April 6th 2008

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