49th Frankston to Portsea run 55km/34 miles
18th April 2021
| 1. | Craig Vickers | 4:18:33 |
| 2. | Richard Matison | 4:30:33 |
| 3. | David Spencer | 5:05:34 |
| 4. | Kathy Macmillan [F] | 5:12:36 |
| 4. | Amelia Griffith [F] | 5:12:36 |
| 6. | Rohan Day | 5:16:59 |
| 7. | Scott Beames | 5:24:41 |
| 8. | Jackie Goudy [F] | 5:43:43 |
| 9. | Linda Tucker [F] | 6:10:59 |
| 10. | Kevin Cassidy | 6:20:27 |
| 11. | Emma-Rose Maber [F] | 6:22:30 |
| 12. | Frank Palermo | 6:24:30 |
| 13. | Maureen Wilson [F] | 6:26:49 |
| 14. | Julie Frank [F] | 6:35:13 |
| 15. | Paula Colarusso [F] | 6:36:23 |
| 15. | Lena McMaster-Smith [F] | 6:36:23 |
| 17. | Penny Gosling [F] | 6:37:24 |
| 18. | Billy Dugec | 7:14:29 |
| 18. | Sindy Zonneveldt [F] | 7:14:29 |
| 20. | Andy Morrison | 7:34:18 |
Michael Clarke DNF 44km
Justin Jeffery DNF 42.65km
Report by Kevin Cassidy
Having the hinges on my remote controlled garage door fall apart distributing nuts, bolts and springs across the concrete floor wasn’t what I’d planned but that was my dilemma just as I was heading for bed on race eve. Endeavouring to undertake some urgent repairs, I abandoned all attempts as the door proved too weighty to lift on my own. The only positive was that my car was outside at the time. If this had happened at 5am the next morning, I’d have been forced to drag a neighbour out of bed to assist me in desperately lifting the door, an action that would have done little towards the advancement of convivial relations!
Having succumbed to three years of badgering from a couple of underworld rogues in the form of Frank Palermo and Paul Spencer, I actually lined up to run this year despite having retired from ultramarathons umpteen years ago.
A grossly inadequate preparation of two woefully pathetic training runs in the previous fortnight did nothing for my confidence as I joined the chorus of bonhomie amongst my fellow runners mingling on the start line. Kate Ablett [organiser on the day] secured the obligatory start line pic and our journey to the bottom end of the peninsula was underway.
Linking up with the incomparable Maureen Wilson, we were soon subjected to a dose of cow bell ringing in the most unseemly of manners. The culprit, of course, was none other than Joanna Maidment zipping past in her car on route to the airport. I’m praying the bell doesn’t have a return ticket!
Employing a 4.5km run-500 metre walk strategy for the first 15km as we ran together, Maureen then moved ahead leaving me to negotiated that gloomy state of mind that you sink into when a lack of fitness starts to accumulate.
Crossing the freeway just beyond 20km, I was afforded a lengthy view into the horizon of seven runners not overly far ahead. Noting they were all of the female variety, The Eagles rendition of “Take it Easy” started running through my head.
“I was runnin’ down the road”
“Tryin’ to loosen my load”
“I had seven women on my mind”
Pardon my trivial digression there but it did keep me amused for a substantial period of time.
Coming through Dromana beyond half way, two of my racewalking mates had wandered down from their nearby home offering encouragement. It was exciting and uplifting to see Bill and Heather Carr….but I did question the need to be reminded I still had to negotiate another 25km!
The Rosebud shopping strip constantly dishes up comical oddities. An unusual looking guy crossing the road with an “I Love Steve McQueen” T-shirt appeared to be on the high side of 70, which had me pondering if he’d failed to advance beyond that hero worshipping stage we all go through in our teens. He bore as uncanny a resemblance to the Disney character Goofy as was possible without actually being a cartoon dog. Presumably, the woman with him was his wife. She looked strikingly like him but a tad hairier. It was a tragically conspicuous sight indeed. Perhaps they were escapees from a place with high walls.
Still in Rosebud and with my lower back aching, passing “Adam’s Back Chiropractic” struck me as incalculably ironic.
Known widely over the years for getting about in his beaten up old 70s Valiant, Ernie Hartley was unrecognisable when he appeared on the highway near Sorrento in a bright red and exceedingly loud Holden Monaro. No doubt, we’ll see him back running here again in the future.
Rolling into the finish and with my gloomy earlier mood having lifted, I had the satisfaction of knocking over this course for the tenth time, 31 years after my first and 17 years since my ninth.
Long before I’d finished, Craig Vickers was comprehensively victorious in 4:18:33. So swift was he that his cycling crew person was lamenting the struggle to keep pace with him on the hills!
A tad further behind, two of our countries most prominent ultra women, Kathy Macmillan and Amelia Griffith, enjoyed an agreeable day together to share line honours in 5:12:36.
Creating a bit of history, Billy Dugec and Sindy Zonneveldt arrived in tandem in a shade over seven hours becoming the first brother-sister combination to grace this event.
On a personal note, I can’t thank the awesome Kate Ablett enough for taking the reins on the day allowing me the opportunity to run and experience a trip down memory lane, albeit a painful one! It just wouldn’t have been possible without her.
Further thanks and appreciation to Anja Ahale for lending me a fancy looking multi faceted vest/squeeze bottle/bladder thing-a-me-bob! The equipment available to the modern day runners has certainly made some immense and ingenious advancements on the primitive gear we endured in the 80s and 90s.
Also, a hefty shout out to Michael “Clarkie” Clarke for securing a fine array of chocolates at a bargain basement price allowing all finishers to choose their favourites.
“I’ve never heard of a Caramilk”, I mumbled to Kate in a state of puzzlement as I made my indiscriminate selection.
“You don’t get out much do you Kev?, Caramilks are everywhere” She replied quite dumbfounded!
And with that, I joined Andy Morrison in Kate’s car for the uneventful drive back to Frankston.
The 50th anniversary run happens on April 10 next year where I can guarantee I’ll be back holding the traditional clipboard and journeying down the peninsula in the comfort of my car seat!
As for the immediate future, I need to organise an expensive repair for my bloody garage door before the day is out. GRRRR.