July 1, 2021

Trail Triumph

An electric atmosphere greeted hundreds of runners who tackled Surf Coast Trail Marathon on Saturday. Perfect conditions were the cherry on top of a welcome return for the popular event.

The trail running community was back in full force with 600 runners participating and with half taking on the full 42km trail. Not only did the buzz of returning to regular long-distance running events create an electric atmosphere for the competitors, but the weather also held up for perfect conditions from Torquay to Fairhaven.

Adding to the excitement was the performance by South Melbourne runner Matt Whitaker, as he finished his race in two hours and 59 minutes (2:59:21) falling just eight minutes short of the marathon’s all-time record.
Victoria Cole of Collingwood reigned supreme on the women’s side, finishing with an impressive time of three hours and 45 minutes (3:45:18).
Both winners from the half-marathons finished their efforts in under two hours as Daniel Loughnan (1:29:14) and Anna Kean (1:45:34) won their respective races. Meanwhile, Nick Bensley and Annabel Luxford took home the teams event in just under three-and-a-half hours (3:24:09).

Race director Chris Ord from Tour de Trails says it was great to see runners come out to participate in this year’s race, particularly those from Melbourne who had endured the worst of the recent lockdowns.

“You could sense the relief,” Ord said. “Not just in those crossing the line moments, but just in people coming together, being able to catch up in person and enjoy the unique camaraderie that events like these create.”

Read full Surf Coast Times story here.

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