With all 3 Rio Olympians (Jared Tallent, Chris Erickson and Brendon Reading) opting to bypass the 2016 Australian 50km championship, we had only one starter in 38 year old Canberra based walker Matt Griggs. But what a story it was!
Matt was one of our top juniors in the late 1990s, taking bronze in the 1996 Australian U18 8km walk and silver in the 1997 Australian U20 20km, only to then give the sport away and move onto other things, including a stint living overseas in Armenia.
He returned to Australia briefly in late 2015, doing a few walks with the ACT Race Walking Club before returning overseas again. He returned again in June of this year, unfit and overweight but with a plan to get back into shape – and the plan involved training for this 50km championship. His first race back on July 2nd saw him record 12:43 for a 2km roadwalk – not an auspicious start. In the intervening 5 months, he has shed 15km to reduce his weight from 95km to 80km and came into this race hoping for a time around 4:30. Well, he nearly made it, his finish time 4:36:14 and his reward and Australian Championship gold medal. And at 38 years of age, he may well be our oldest ever inaugural winner of this title.
His 10km splits tell the story of his race: 52:25, 51:41, 51:53, 57:37 and 62:38. Yes, he slowed but he never really died, always looking composed and in control. Wow!
Men 50km Road Walk Australian Championship Open
1. Matt Griggs in 4:36:14 (Inaugural)
Overall conditions were good, with a cool and overcast Melbourne morning and the fast Fawkner Park 2km lap providing an ideal racing environment. The 20km races saw wins to New Zealand Rio Olympians Quentin Rew (1:24:57) and Alana Barber (1:32:59). Both raced strongly and were too good on the day for their opposition. The men’s 20km saw fellow Rio Olympian Rhydian Cowley (1:28:13) take second with 18 year old Tyler Jones (1:30:12) taking third with his first ever 20km effort. In the women’s race, 2012 Olympian Beki Smith (1:33:54) took second ahead of Simone McInnes (1:47:54).
Men 20km Road Walk Invitation Open
1. Quentin Rew in 1:24:57
2. Rhydian Cowley in 1:28:13
3. Tyler Jones in 1:30:12 (Inaugural)
4. Jay Felton in 1:32:29
5. Carl Gibbons in 1:33:28 new PB 1:55
6. Adam Garganis in 1:37:30
7. Stuart Kollmorgen in 1:43:27
8. Pramesh Prasad in 1:45:20 new PB 1:39
9. Simon Evans in 1:56:53
Reese Walmsley DQ
Women 20km Road Walk Invitation Open
1. Alana Barber in 1:32:59
2. Beki Smith in 1:33:54
3. Simone McInnes in1:47:54 (Inaugural)
The men’s U20 10km race saw Western Australian Declan Tingay (PB 42:36) win with a time which bettered Troy Sundstrom’s Australian U18 record of 42:47. It comes on top of some great walks over the shorter distances and continues his recent great form. Behind him, Luke McCutcheon was only 4 secs outside his PB in taking second place with 45:11, while Kyle Swan was third with 46:27. In the women’s U20 10,m, 17 year old Philippa Huse (49:46) recorded yet another sub-50 min performances.
Men 10km Road Walk Invitation U20
1. Declan Tingay in 42:36 new PB 1:21, and new AUS U18 record
2. Luke McCutcheon in 45:11
3. Kyle Swan in 46:27
4. Dylan Richardson in 46:32 new PB 1:14
5. Corey Dickson in 52:14 new PB 1:42
6. Hayden Walmsley in 57:15
Women 10km Road Walk Invitation U20
1. Philippa Huse in 49:46
And finally, we had 2 girls in the U18 5km, with Rebecca Henderson (24:29) taking line honours.
Women 5km Road Walk Invitation U18
1. Rebecca Henderson in 24:29
2. Emily Noonan in 32:56
Overall, small numbers but some quality performances. Thanks to Athletics Australia for providing the opportunity for our walkers to contest quality races under full judging panels. The next big road races will be in Adelaide on Sunday February 19th when the Australian 20km Summer Championships will be contested.
Tim Erickson
Sunday 11 December 2016
(Cover photo by Ralph Bennett - Australia)
Quentin Rew winner in 20km (photo by Ralph Bennett - AUS)
Alana Barber winner in 20km (photo by Ralph Bennett - AUS)