14.12.2007

Vernon and Birmingham conquer Zatopek 10

The 47th running of the Zatopek 10,000 metres was held on a warm December evening at Melbourne's Olympic Park.

The evening started with Victorian Miler’s club races, Victorian Athletic League races, Little Athletics and Regional relays.

The main events were led off by the under-20 women's 3000 metres and Lara Tamsett (NSW) took over the lead early in the race and simply ran away with it to win comfortably in 9.29.60 from Elise Clayton (Vic) in 9.37.42 and Bridey Delaney (NSW) in 9.41.16.

The women's triple jump saw the welcome return of Emma Knight (WA) to Victoria with a personal best jump of 12.93m to beat Commonwealth rep Jeanette Bowles (Vic) in 12.67m and New Zealander Kiri Kendall with 12.29m.

The men’s discus saw the continued good form of Benn Harradine (Vic) chasing that tough Olympic qualifier of 64.50m to win with 61.66m and beat rival Aaron Neighbour (59.23m) and Graham Hicks (Tas) with 57.20m.

The Malinowski 3000 metres steeplechase, named after the late 1980 Polish Olympic steeple champion Bronislaw Malinowski, saw a clinic put on by Olympian and national champion Peter Nowill (Qld) in his easy win in 8.36.59. ACT’s Scott McTaggart (9.05.44) and Mark Bourne (9.08.54) were distant runners-up.

Tamsyn Lewis (Vic) showed her class in the women’s 400 metres when she won easily in 52.16 from former World Youth medallist Jamie-Lee Starr (NSW) in 53.65 and Tasmania’s Morgan Whiley in 54.53.

The men’s 400 metres saw the return of dual Olympian Daniel Batman (ACT) to top class 400 metres running after a break from the event. His first 300 metres was classic Batman, hard and fast, but the finish wasn’t there as young Universiade relay silver medallist Joel Milburn (NSW) powered past him to win in 46.41. Batman hung onto second place with 47.33 and Andrew Boudrie (Vic) flashed home third in a PB of 47.85.

The large field of 12 in the 800 metres made for an exciting race and the crowd were not let down as former 400m hurdler Chris de Boer (WA) made a successful change of events and smashed his PB to win in 1.48.89 ahead of another former hurdler from the ACT, Tobby Sutherland (1.49.95) and Josh Schmidt (Vic) (1.50.33) inches ahead of James Pettigrew (Vic) and former Victorian champion Matt Griffin (both 1.50.38).

The women’s Zatopek 10,000 metres - also doubled as the Australian championship - saw one of its smallest fields (eight runners) face the starter. Melinda Vernon (NSW) soon took over and ran a solo race against the clock to win in 34.28.85, believed to be a world deaf record subject to confirmation. Josie Carberry (Vic) continued her good season form to take second in 35.19.59 (PB) with Tara Palm (SA) third in 35.49.40.

Australian All Schools champion and World Youth representative Kim Mulhall (Vic) faced her first serious challenge in Victoria in the discus from Indian Olympian and Commonwealth representative Harwant Kaur. Kaur, who has a PB of over 63 metres, showed her class even though she is not yet in top form with a good win with 53.22m from Mulhall who was again over 50 metres with 50.59m and young Samoan Margaret Satupai (Vic) (42.28m).

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Alwyn Jones (Vic) had his first serious triple jump of the season and won with 15.87m from All Schools champion Henry Frayne (Vic) (15.55m) and Adam Rabone (Vic) (15.39m).

A large field of 15 runners set off in the open 1500 metres with Moroccan pacemaker Otmane Tirhazouine ensuring the race would be fast. Commonwealth rep Jeremy Roff (NSW) went for home 600 metres out but Commonwealth 800 metres sixth placegetter Nick Bromley (NSW) was not going to let Roff get too far ahead and he used his superior speed down the straight to win in 3.42.18 from Roff (3.42.80) with Corey Tucker (ACT) third in 3.43.67. Rising junior star Ryan Gregson (NSW) showed no fear amongst the seniors to finish a strong fifth in 3.44.36.

Commonwealth discus gold medallist Scott Martin (Vic) was in a class of his own in winning the shot put with 18.89m from Joe Stevens (Vic) (15.70m) and junior Andrew Peska (Vic) with a PB of 15.22m.

The women’s 1500 metres saw Sydney Olympian Georgie Clarke (Vic) take control of this race early and win well in 4.16.88 from NSW junior Chloe Tighe (4.20.95) and Anna Worland (Vic) (4.21.90).

The de Castella under-20 3000 metres saw some of the best young distance prospects line up and race. The field of 27 was soon broken into several groups with the front runners all Victorians - Sam Crowther, Chris Hamer, Matt Coloe, Ben Ashkettle and Kane Wille pushed the pace with Queenslander Jay Twist the only other to stay with them. In the end the superior speed and form of Ashkettle, recently returned for Christmas from his US college, win in 8.17.00 from Coloe (8.17.48), Crowther (8.18.40), Hamer (8.22.53) and Twist (8.25.05).

The feature race of the evening was the Zatopek 10,000 metres with 22 starters. A great race developed with New Zealander Jason Woolhouse setting a cracking pace set for a 28-minute finish time. Once Woolhouse pulled out at 5000 metres, the race was left in the hands of Commonwealth steeplechaser Martin Dent (ACT) and Collis Birmingham (Vic), a sub-3.40 1500 metres runner. They ran together until just before the last lap when Birmingham unleashed a devastating sprint to win in a PB of 28.39.91 from Dent (28.49.73) and New Zealander Rees Buck (29.12.42). Russell Dessaix-Chin (NSW) ran himself into the ground to finish in fourth place in 29.28.10.

Paul Jenes
Athletics Victoria Communications Officer