The Debutant and The Veteran
BENDIGO: Round Three of the four round Trail Run Australia Series hit Bendigo at the weekend, and it was a new-comer and an experienced local who stole the show.
Jill Wilkie was crowned Female Champion after a magnificent half marathon performance of 01:45:54.
Wilkie, who belongs to the local Bendigo Harriers club, competed in the 50-59 age category, and finished more than 10 minutes ahead of second-placed Katie Poltrock.
Poltrock finished in 01:56:05, while Matilda Iglesias came home third with 01:59:39.
Wilkie said the course was the right mix of enjoyable and challenging.
Fellow Victorian Josh De Stefanis won the Men’s event in his very first off-road Half Marathon.
De Stefanis travelled from Melbourne for the event, where he competes with the Box Hill Athletics club.
Prior the race he said there were some definite first-up nerves.
“I’ve never done an off-road race like this. I’ve done half-marathons on the road, and one full-marathon, but never off-road. I’m a little bit nervous, wondering what to expect.”
But De Stefanis was able to convert nerves in to performance, as he held-off a strong challenge from Johnny Kingma, to take the title.
De Stefanis crossed the line in a time of 01:31:08, with Kingma completing the Crusoe Reservoir course a little over a minute behind, in 01:32:11.
De Stefanis was greeted as he crossed the line by Mum, Sue, and girlfriend, Anna, who were on hand to celebrate his win on debut.
Adrian Sbrugnera rounded-out the podium with a 01:42:19 finish.
Ben Allen and Sarah Schroeder won the men’s and women’s 11km events, while Merlin Tzaros and Gabrielle Wilson took-out the 5km.
And in the Dirt Master Challenge where competitors tackled the full long course event across two days Michael Hogben was crowned Dirt Master Champion; while Lindy Kronen was crowned Dirt Mistress Champion.
The Bendigo MultiSport Festival is proudly supported by The City of Greater Bendigo. For full results. Videos and photos go to:
About Trail Run Australia
Trail Run Australia takes runners to some of the most iconic and stunning destinations in this spectacular land down under. It challenges participants to get off road and take on a challenge against mother nature in some of the most demanding and diverse terrain that the country has to offer.
From stunning beaches, to historic goldfields, remote rocky outcrops and rich rainforests, all the way to the iconic Snowy Mountains. Trail Run Australia inspires runners to tread the path less travelled in this wild and beautiful land.
All festivals include a:
- Half Marathon;
- 10-12km;
- 5-6km; and
- Free Kids Mud Rats Events
The series finale also includes a 50km Ultra in Australia’s iconic Snowy Mountains.
2018|19 Events
| DATE | EVENT | LOCATION | STATUS |
| 1 Sep 2018 | Race 1: TreX Enduro | Kurwongbah, Qld | Gold |
| 22 Sep 2018 | Race 2: TreX Port Stephens WQE | Fingal Bay, NSW | Platinum |
| 23 Sep 2018 | Trail Run Australia | Tomaree | Fingal Bay, NSW | n/a |
| 27 Oct 2018 | Race 3: TreX Sunshine Coast
Qld State Championships & WQE |
Sunshine Coast, Qld | Platinum |
| 28 Oct 2018 | Trail Run Australia | Sunshine Coast | Sunshine Coast, Qld | n/a |
| 24 Nov 2018 | Race 4: TreX Goldfields
Vic State Championships & WQE |
Bendigo, VIC | Platinum |
| 25 Nov 2018 | Trail Run Australia | Goldfields | Bendigo, VIC | n/a |
| 23 Feb 2019 | Race 5: TreX Snowy Mountains
Australian National Championships |
Snowy Mtns, NSW | Platinum |
| 24 Feb 2019 | Trail Run Australia | Snowies Ultra | Snowy Mtns, NSW | Platinum |
| 30 | 31 Mar 2019 | Race 6: TreX Back 2 Back | Mt Cotton, Qld | Gold |
| 27 April 2019 | Race 7: TreX Champs | Sunshine Coast, Qld | Platinum |
| 28 April 2018 | Sunshine Coast MTB Festival | Sunshine Coast, Qld | n/a |
For more information visit TreX here and Trail Run Australia here.
About In2Adventure
In2Adventure are Asia-Pacific’s premier adventure event specialists, and the proud hosts of the 2016 ITU Cross Triathlon World Championships. With a full calendar of national events scheduled throughout Australia, including cross triathlon, XC Mountain Bike, trail runs and corporate events, In2Adventure fully embraces all things ‘off road’ and ‘off the beaten track’ and offers a unique, individual experience for all ages and skill levels.
For more information visit In2Adventure here
Photo Credit: Courtesy In2Adventure
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