XCR Round 5 Calder Park Road Relays - 28 June 2026
The Waverley injury list was longer than the start list, and we had quite a depleted team for this one. Best injuries were:
- House falling off a treadmill in Thailand, fracturing a rib and puncturing a lung
- Tony George getting pneumonia over in South Africa and still running Comrades
- Janice tripping over a tree root during our training session on Tuesday night and scoring deep wounds in her knee and elbow
- Davin, Jack, Tim, Julian, Sally, Kirsten, James M, Matt, Emily, Matt, Harvs all unavailable.
But on the positive side we welcomed new member Deelaka Suraweera who has been training with us
It was a bit of a trip out to our new venue this year at Calder Park. and just when you thought you were there, it was a long queue to get off the freeway into the carpark. The venue was a throwback to the 70's with plenty of well worn concrete buildings. The Waverley tent was quickly erected at the end of the tent line, and before long we were away.
Ryan, Smoothy, Beck and new boy Deelaka led us away. They disappeared quickly down a turnoff to the main stadium where they did the 1.8 k loop of the main stadium before they returned to view on the warm up track in front of the tents.
Ryan was first back, but Smoothy starting 3 minutes later pulled in our fastest time of the day with 25.36. It was a tight battle in 50+ with Smoothy struggling to get his wrist band off near the finish pipped on the line by Kynan Dawes from Box Hill with Kevin Mannix from Glenhuntly just behind.
Martin ran our second 50 leg and pulled cleanly away from the competition, setting up a big 3 minute lead over Box Hill and 5 minutes over Glenhuntly. I was running last with a dodgy hamstring. It started complaining in teh first km and got really sore just before the end of the first lap. It was touch and go if it could finish. But by slowing to a limping jog in the second lap it held on and despite giving back most of the big lead Martin had set up, we held on for the win. Another M50 victory, our 4th for the season, and without our star Davin.
Men Div 4 went from Ryan to Daniel to Ernie (who had a great run), and then to Smurf who ran an absolute blinder, finishing with our country marathon king, Nic. Deelaka debuted, running the first leg in Div 5 with an impressive 31.41. Michael ran a solid 33.30 and Martin and Daniel finished off for the team.
Our women were led off well by Beck with an impressive 30.02, then Niamh, Wendy and Petra all ran well.
Overall our men finished 8th in Div 4, 12th in Div 5, and 1st in 50+. Our women finished 6th in Div 3, which was a good result considering all the outs.
Our most impressive results were:
- Smoothy with his best club points of the season and setting up our M50+ win
- Martin with his best run of the season and making sure of our M50+ win
- Ryan with his best run of the season
- Ernie with a standout run, his best of the season
- Smurf with an absolute blinder. Nick and Michael must have though they had a chance against him but Smurf is just getting better and better, not far behind Daniel and my times
- Wendy and Michael with their best points of the season
- Deelaka for a great debut. He will also be good competition for Smurf, Nic, Michael, James M and Harvs
- special mention to Martin and Daniel for helping out James and Matt in Div 5.
The fastest legs overall were Andy Buchanan (Bendigo) 20.46 and Ally Brooks (Box Hill) 24.03. Sizzling. The Premier Division winning teams were men - Bendigo (first time this season), and women - Box Hill, ending the run of clean sweeps by Sandringham. So they are beatable after all.
Full results are at: https://athsvic.resultshub.com.au/#
A big thank you to our helpers Sally and Neil. Without you our points wouldn't have counted, So thank you.
Overall the Calder couse was ok, but not as good as Sandown. A little too flat. Calder loses points against Sandown for proximity, the long queues to park and leave, and the long mens toilet queue. But Sandown wasn't available this year so it was worth a try.
