Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles
Sunday 1st May 2022
| 1. | Yuanchao Cheng | 4:42:48 |
| 2. | Tracy Feiner [F] | 4:44:49 |
| 3. | Bryce Angell | 4:47:36 |
| 4. | Daragh O’Loughlin | 4:48:11 |
| 5. | Rohan Day | 5:10:50 |
| 6. | Jonathan Ennis-King | 5:14:10 |
| 7. | Justin Jeffery | 5:24:54 |
| 8. | Jody Daff [F] | 5:54:44 |
| 9. | Chris Johnstone | 5:56:05 |
| 10. | Shunnai Zhao | 5:56:09 |
| 11. | Nikki Wynd [F] | 5:58:04 |
| 11. | David Eadie | 5:58:04 |
| 13. | David Froude | 6:05:12 |
| 14. | Michael Wang | 6:11:48 |
| 15. | Tim Purton-Smith | 6:16:20 |
| 16. | Ken Ye | 6:17:34 |
| 17. | Lily Tang [F] | 6:20:16 |
| 18. | Bob Jiang | 6:24:06 |
| 19. | Paul Spencer | 6:29:24 |
| 20. | Bonan Liu | 6:36:57 |
| 21. | Sindy Zonneveldt [F] | 6:47:48 |
| 21. | Frank Palermo | 6:47:48 |
| 23. | Aaron Slight | 6:57:11 |
| 24. | Jon Lim | 6:59:54 |
| 25. | Kylie Irshad [F] | 7:07:25 |
| 26. | Baoping Zhang | 7:22:39 |
| 27. | Kirsten Maplestone [F] | 8:13:49 |
| 27. | George Mihalakellis | 8:58:46 |
| 29. | Peter Gray | 15:32:25 |
Report by Kevin Cassidy
Here’s a quiz question for you: What do The Planet of the Apes movie, Neil Young’s Harvest album and Basketball legend Shaq O’Neil have in common with the Frankston to Portsea run?
If celebrating their 50th years was your wild and indiscriminate guess, give yourself an emphatic pat on the back.
A slight hiccup in the shape of a date change was never going to dampen our low key run’s half century. As we’ve well learnt in recent years, sudden changes and cancellations have become common place courtesy of a variety of confusing and grossly inconsistent Covid rules.
It wasn’t Covid that conspired against us in 2022, but a bout of tumultuous weather in February that permeated it’s way through to April. A long standing and popular swimming event between Sorrento and Portsea was forcibly cancelled with April 10 becoming their new date, a fact I was only made aware of while sorting some plumbing work for the niece of one of the swim organisers!! Having done this swim myself in years gone by, I wasn’t oblivious to the traffic and crowds that swarm the area and pubs on race day. Clearly, our scheduled date had morphed into an unworkable proposition so May 1 was our next option of any practicality.
Not everyone got the memo, so to speak, regarding the new date so imagine my surprise to receive a call from Peter Gray. Peter had run the course solo wondering where everyone else was? Having someone finish three weeks prior is somewhat of an oddity but deserving of an allowance given the circumstances.
This was Peter’s twentieth finish dating back to 1989, a record I doubt will ever be matched.
Content to leave the running to others this year, I got the charge to the bottom of the peninsula underway by mentioning the magic word “Go” and hitting the stop watch. The field of 29 runners consisting of a mix of newbies and repeat offenders promptly headed south down the Nepean Highway. Amongst our first timers was a contingent from the Australian Chinese Running Group [ACRG] looking resplendent in their orange outfits.
Climbing into my car seat, I have to shamefully admit that prior to motoring off down the road, I paid a visit to McDonald’s [something I had not done in years] and purchased a “large fries” as a form of breakfast. Let me tell you that they were half cold, stale, tasted like cardboard and in summary, totally unappetising. I’ll not make such an exceedingly mindless life choice again.
Catching up with the field after about 10km, Yuanchao Cheng was leading with Tracy Feiner, Daragh O’Loughlin and Bryce Angell in hot pursuit. Tracy, in particular, was showing the guys how it’s done. Further back were a few of our regulars in Justin Jeffery, Frank Palermo and Paul Spencer. Tailing the field were George Mihalakellis, Aaron Slight and Kirsten Maplestone. When it comes to colourful outfits, Kirsten is most definitely to the fore! Her socks alone would not have looked out of place in the front window of a candy shop.
The roundabout at 21km is the one possible point where runners may take a wrong turn. Given our numerous first timers, I spent a large portion of time there ensuring everyone took the correct route. The directionally challenged Jon Lim made a serious blue here a few years ago. Fortunately he had Paul Spencer nearby this year to guide him to safety!!
Winding onto Point Nepean road approaching 30km, Jonathan Ennis-King, Rohan Day and Jody Daff were making substantially good progress and appeared well placed.
Paramount on my mind at this point was the task of stocking up with the traditional “finishers chocolate”. Wishing to go a tad upmarket for our 50th year, I made the taxing and all important decision to purchase Mars Bars and promptly turned into Coles supermarket in Dromana……or should that be ATTEMPTED to turn in? I was abruptly halted by a taxi blocking the car park entrance. Wearing a facial expression of both bemusement and bewilderment, the driver spent an indeterminate period of time [which felt like a tortured eternity] making the most idiotic manoeuvres in an attempt to clear the way as traffic piled up behind me. He bounced off one gutter, then forward over another gutter and so on and so on!! No doubt, there’s a stupidity requirement in getting a cab license on the peninsula.
With my stash of chocolate finally secured, exiting the car park brought further drama. Opening the car door, I caught sight of a rather chunky grey haired man heading my way.
“Gee, your ute’s in good shape there mate, I’ve got a similar model”, exclaimed my uninvited visitor as he launched into a list of his beloved vehicle’s features.
I wanted to reply with “I don’t give a flying rats” but of course I remained polite as my heart sank at the prospect of being unable to run from his brainless prattling.
Just as I was trying to establish an escape plan, a formidable looking woman [presumably his wife/partner] with an assertive tone of voice called him away in a rather no-nonsense manner.
Mercifully, I’d been saved!
The task of motoring to Portsea wasn’t completely incident free with a burst water main flooding one side of the road near Rye. Once I’d negotiated that, the familiar tone of cow bells split my ear drums. Yes, the incomparable Joanna Maidment had appeared and was speeding up and down the road ringing her bells at the unsuspecting runners. Encouragement may have been the intention but I strongly suspect that “startled surprise” may have been the more prominent reaction.
The action at the front of the field in the later stages was captivating to say the least. Yuanchao held a narrow lead over Tracy and Daragh who were just metres apart in the final 5km. Rohan, Justin and Bryce were also trading places constantly.
I roared down to the finish in anticipation having barged past a small brown car with QLD number plates plopping along at half the speed limit.
Courtesy of the Casey Masters Athletic Club, I was able to present medals to the first three males and females.
Yuanchao held on to win with Tracy just two minutes short of “chicking” the entire field.
Bryce managed to overtake the fading Daragh in the final push into Portsea.
One by one, they all started rolling in. Rohan flaked onto the traffic island while Jonathon Ennis-King crossed the line sporting a nasty cut to the knee.
“I just tripped over my own feet” was his nonchalant explanation.
Jody Daff remained steady all day to snare second amongst the women while Chris Johnstone and Shunnai Zhao produced a stunning sprint finish, separated by just a few seconds.
Cruising to the end side by side, Nikki Wynd and David Eadie were all smiles. Nikki snapped up the third pace medal.
Paul Spencer clocked up his eighth finish with Frank Palermo knocking out his seventh. As per usual, Frank then turned for his solo run back to Frankston!!
Aaron Slight also came home strongly having picked off several runners in the second half.
A serene quietness took over the finish area as tired but satisfied runners slowly departed leaving just two runners on the course.
There was no mistaking Kirsten Maplestone as she trotted to the finish with her blue hair, multi coloured skirt, fancy socks and bubbly personality. She’d do well on Australian Idol, I reckon.
Soon after, George Mihalakellis was our final finisher in a shade under nine hours.
George’s appearance provided a story all on its own, and a monumentally mind boggling one at that.
George had run a 100km trail event in central Victoria and finished at 2am, just five hours before we started. He then drove to Frankston and snatched an hour or so of sleep in his car prior to hitting the highway to Portsea!!
As for George’s mental acuity, make of it what you will!
Heading home as the day drew to a close, I snuck into a Hungry Jack’s for a toilet break and an icy cold diet coke . Staring at a photo on the wall of the manager and his team as I awaited my order, I couldn’t help but reflect on the odd fact that people who manage hamburger chains always look as if their mother has bonked Dopey from the seven dwarves.
Assuming Covid and rescheduled swims don’t raise their ugly faces, our 51st run is set for April 2nd 2023 where the tradition moves into it’s second half century.