Frankston to Portsea 55km Run 55km/34 miles
Sunday 6th April 2025
| 1. | Shunnai Zhao | 4:26:18 |
| 2. | Bruce Miller | 4:45:21 |
| 3. | Simon Neale | 4:46:14 |
| 4. | Baoping Zhang | 4:54:59 |
| 5. | Andrew Fero-Kovassy | 5:03:46 |
| 6. | David Spencer | 5:08:32 |
| 7. | Jonathan Ennis-King | 5:10:25 |
| 8. | Bonan Liu | 5:14:29 |
| 9. | Stuart Hughes | 5:15:46 |
| 10. | Teddy Banks | 5:18:21 |
| 11. | Chris Pittock | 5:27:18 |
| 11. | Simon Wildes | 5:27:18 |
| 13. | Jody Daff [F] | 5:43:40 |
| 14. | Adrian Sell | 5:46:15 |
| 15. | Michael Wang | 5:53:38 |
| 16. | Paul Spencer | 5:55:43 |
| 17. | Nicole Kew [F] | 5:55:45 |
| 17. | Nikki Wynd [F] | 5:55:45 |
| 19. | Daniel Bull | 6:02:00 |
| 20. | Dan Langelaan | 6:09:53 |
| 21. | Geoff Markley | 6:13:13 |
| 22. | Tuan Lee | 6:28:47 |
| 22. | Matt Matin | 6:28:47 |
| 24. | Jonathan Au | 6:34:27 |
| 25. | Kristy Guo [F] | 6:45:58 |
| 26. | Gavin Ma | 6:53:13 |
| 27. | Bob Jiang | 6:56:12 |
| 28. | Frank Palermo | 7:09:17 |
Craig Vickers 38km
Grace Mennen [F] 30km
Report by Kevin Cassidy
Dragging oneself out of the comforts of a warm bed at 4:30am has never rated highly on my list of favoured activities. Regardless, such a task was essential on this occasion. Roaring down the freeway, I dispensed with the usual irritating radio stations, instead tuning in via youtube to Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees album. For you youngsters who’ve never heard of either Boz or the album, it topped the 3XY charts back in 1977. In fact, you’ve possibly never heard of radio station 3XY either!!!
Arriving at our traditional gathering place in the car park behind “The Deck” nightclub just prior to 6am, I was met by the perennially enthusiastic Frank Palermo and the early starting Jonathan Au. Also loitering was a dodgy looking wiry haired individual rummaging through the bins in search of god knows what. He looked like he should’ve been running the Bates Motel from Psycho.
Soon after Jonathan hit the road, the otherwise quiet car park began filling with a vast and eclectic array of vehicles. Shortly after, 29 runners began their charge down the Nepean Highway to Portsea.
Striding out hard over the first 10km, Shunnai Zhao quickly established a substantial lead with Craig Vickers, Bruce Miller, Simon Neale and Andrew Fero-Kovassy following. A little further back, David Spencer and Baoping Zhang had settled into a rhythm. Amongst the women, Jody Daff came through looking formidable to say the least while Nicole Kew and Nikki Wynd had teamed up for the journey ahead.
Pointing my ute south, I made haste to the roundabout at 21km to ensure no one undertook an incorrect turn and remained there until all had gone through. Handing a can of Coke to Matt Matin was the catalyst to a somewhat amusing and perhaps regrettable incident.
“Just throw the empty can behind my ute” , I yelled from the opposite side of the road which Matt duly did. Immediately a passing motorist screeched to a halt blocking traffic behind him.
“Pick that up”, he screamed at Matt several times. I waved Matt on then crossed the road to engage with the now irate motorist.
“It’s fine”, I said emphatically. “I told him to throw it there and I’m here to pick up any rubbish”
I’m unsure if he made a grumbling apology or was just grumbling in general as he zoomed off with his whispy grey hair standing on end and his sad faced wife looking a fright in her startlingly bright yellow hat.
Back to the run, Kristy Guo tailed the field at this point marginally behind Gavin Ma and Bob Jiang and appeared to be enjoying her day.
Quickly zooming around to Dromana near the 30km point, I made the regular dash into the local supermarket to purchase the traditional finishers chocolate. Dazzled and gratified at the immense selection of choccies and after a substantial period of consideration, I keenly sought some Bertie Beatles without success, settling instead for Caramello Koalas. Any hope of negotiating the check out in a timely manner was dashed when a young woman in front of me started fumbling through her purse. One by one she slowly and painfully produced ten cent coins to pay for a $3:50 item in an operation that dragged on for an inordinate period. I was sorely tempted to shoot her with a bow and arrow.
Escaping the supermarket, I came across Marnie Zakis and Byron Lester who were roaming the course assisting runners. A particular mention here to Marnie for her efforts in waving to a passing motorist, only to catch the eye of the local police travelling past. Given we do this run without official permits, I had a genuine dread that I was about to be arrested when they pulled over. I looked the other way and let Byron do the talking. It turns out the cops thought Marnie was waving them down for assistance. I sucked in a deep sigh of relief. I’ll seek some appropriate revenge in due course, Marnie. ha ha ha.
The front runners were now well beyond Dromana so I journeyed on passing the exclusion zone around the cliff top house that inadvertently tumbled down the hill coming to rest upside down upon another house! It’s been months now with the area secured by ample bellied guards playing with their mobile phones. What the future holds for these unfortunate home owners remains a mystery.
Shunnai was still flying with an impenetrable lead zipping through the marathon point at Rye around 3:15. It was here that the unmistakable presence of Joanna Maidment emerged with the piercing sound of her cow bell, a form of “encouragement” for all as she motored up and down the road wreaking havoc amongst the local traffic.
Needing to be at the finish for Shunnai’s arrival, I hightailed to Portsea with a brief stop at Sorrento for a life inducing caffeine hit via a cold Diet Coke.
“Is this some sort of event”, asked a chubby faced man as I tried to dash quickly from the shop back to my ute.
“Yes, they’ve run from Frankston”, I quickly replied out of the corner of my mouth hoping the irksome twit would vanish.
“Wow, I don’t even drive that far”, he laughed haughtily thinking it was an original line!
He then launched into a summary of his own imaginary sporting glory. Evidently, he snatched third place at his primary school egg and spoon race back in 1965. Well I think that’s what he was alluding to but I wasn’t listening as I climbed back into my ute. Honestly, he resembled a lemon merangue pie with ears.
Setting up at the finish, a couple’s “animated” discussion about how to use their bicycle gears kept me amused. The male in particular was being most obtuse and inflexible. Moments later, a youngster of questionable mental acuity performed a wheelie in his black mini minor.
Shunnai Zhoa soon appeared and charged home for a comfortable all-the-way win in 4:26:18. Almost 20 minutes would pass before Bruce Miller and Simon Neale finished within a minute of each other. Baoping Zhang also snuck under five hours.
The hordes then came rolling in. David Spencer recorded his twelfth finish with Jonathan Ennis-King clocking up his seventh. Jonathan bemused us all by crossing the line, quickly grabbing his bag from my ute then dashing over to the waiting bus, an understandable move given the hourly bus timetable!
Stuart Hughes was smiling at the finish not far ahead of Chris Pittock and Simon Wildes in a joint finish.
Jody Daff took out the women’s prize in a commendable 5:43:40 ahead of Nikki Wynd and Nicole Kew who cheerily ran together the entire way.
Holding off Nikki and Nicole by just two seconds was Paul Spencer in his tenth finish. Dan Langelaan had the support of his three young kids in the final stages while the early starting Jonathan Au looked exceedingly satisfied to have made it to Portsea.
Kristy Guo proved the benefits of consistent pacing, coming though the field having spent the first half at the tail end.
Frank Palermo was another to knock out a tenth finish while Craig Vickers and Grace Mennen didn’t have the best of days and were unable to reach Portsea.
As has been the case the last few years, the Australian Chinese Runners Group in their distinctive orange shirts were out in force numbering seven in the field of thirty
As always, volunteers make this run what it is. A huge shout out to the Casey Masters Athletic Club for providing medals for all placegetters, Rohan Day for patrolling the course dishing out coke and lemonade, Shelley Deluca for doing similar with her well stocked vehicle of snacks and goodies, Marnie and Byron for their assistance both on the course and at the finish and Paul Spencer for donating a shopping bag of assorted chocolate. Along with my Caramello Koalas, the chocolate smorgasboard was welcomed by all.
The “Ten Time Finishes” club now numbers seven with the inclusion this year of Frank Palermo and Paul Spencer.
The day came to a close with me giving Shelly Deluca a lift back to her car in Rye in what any normal person would imagine to be a simple and not overly taxing task. Let me tell you in as forthright a manner as possible that exiting the Rye pier carpark requires a map, compass and two hours of your life!! Or maybe it was just my own muddleheaded state of mind!!
Rolling on to 2026, circle April 12th on your calendars.