May 2011 Newsletter - West Australian Marathon Club

Last Hurrah for Iconic Bridges Course
Asics Bridges Fun Run - 10th April
By Eldon George
The Bridges Fun Run, now in its 35th year, started
back in the days of mesh singlets, hungry running
shorts, KT26s and big beards, sideburns and
suspicious looking moustaches. Though the footwear
and clothing have changed (for the most part) and
some of the younger (male) competitors appear to
be looking back to 1976 with the quantity and styling
of their facial hair, the riverside route around Perth
Water has remained the same, with a few changes of
direction and start/finish line.
However, this was the last year of the Bridges
as we know it. Next year the start finish line will
be submerged within a 10 hectare marina inlet
redevelopment of the Perth foreshore. Gone too will
be the riverside path in this area which provides a
continuous loop around the Swan River. More than
2,300 entrants said goodbye to this well-trod familiar
and popular course in the best way possible, by
running it: 600 in the 5km walk/ run which began in
South Perth and 1700 in the 10km event.
As the WAMC’s largest fun run, a Bridges win is a
sought-after crown for WA runners and the men’s
10km race is always hotly contested. Prominent on the
start line this year were: five time Bridges winner and
last year’s victor Todd Ingraham, 2010 West Australian
Marathon Club Champion Roberto Busi looking for his
second Bridges win, North Carolina-bred and recently
converted Sandgroper Cody Angell, who ran second
to Busi in last year’s WAMC John Gilmour 10km track
race and Gerry Hill, runner up to Busi in last year’s
Perth Marathon.
Windy conditions meant neither the race record (29.41
set by 16 time Bridges winner Ray Boyd in 2000) nor
PBs for the 10km race were likely to tumble.
The lead pack of 15 jostled in a game of drafting into
the wind. Gerry Hill made an early break just before
the 1km marker, but alone against the wind, he soon
settled back in with the pack. As the race left the road
and moved on to the path to cross the Causeway, the
lead pack shrunk to 7 and the headwind became a
cross wind. The 5km along the South Perth foreshore
towards the Narrows Bridge provided a tail wind.
Here, at the 3km mark, Roberto made a hard move
splintering the lead pack again, though Todd and Gerry
stayed within reach. With Roberto running out in front
alone for the second half of the race, a hot contest
developed for second place, with Cody catching up to
Gerry and Todd at the 7km mark.
Roberto increased his lead over the last 2km to win
in typically exuberant style, finding time to take off his
singlet, throw it in the air, cross the finish line in 32.42
and then dart out to retrieve his clothing, before the
arrival of Cody, who snuck away over the last kilometre
and held on to second place (32.55), four seconds
ahead of Todd (32.59), with
Gerry in fourth in 33.35, two seconds in front of former
Perth Glory soccer player and now coach, Mark Lee
who, continuing his run of good performances must
be wondering if he should have spent less time on the
soccer pitches of the world, and more time, well, just
running.
Taking the lead just after the start, Samantha Flanders
won the women’s 10km in 39.14, well ahead of Kelly
Cossom (40.02) in second and third place Rochelle
Thorpe (40.11).
The 5km event starting in South Perth is always
popular with younger runners, school teams and,
starting half an hour before the 10km, many distance
runners looking for a solid warm up prior to the main
race. Dean Menzies (16.34) had a convincing win over
junior Chris Cummins (17.05) whilst up-and-coming
youngster Chartt Miller, who finished an impressive
9th (8.44.92) in the men’s 3000m at Perth Track Classic
the week before, finished third in 17.57.
Juniors Matilda Connell (19.23) and Hannah Castle,
second in 19.30, battled all the way in the women’s
race. Katherine Stockwell was third in 20.02.
The WAMC is working on the route for next year’s race.
Proceeds from the Asics Bridges Fun Run are donated
to Channel 7’s Telethon and over the years $600,000
has been donated.
Men’s 10km
Place Name Age Cat Time
1 ROBERTO BUSI M30 0:32:42
2 CODY ANGELL M25 0:32:55
3 TODD INGRAHAM M35 0:32:59
4 GERARD HILL M25 0:33:35
5 MARK LEE M30 0:33:37
6 THOMAS BRUINS M20 0:33:39
7 LIAM FUERY M30 0:33:48
8 DAVID CANE M45 0:34:14
9 MARTIN FEICHTINGER M25 0:34:16
10 STEPHEN STOCKWELL M45 0:34:22
Women’s 10km
Place Name Age Cat Time
1 SAMANTHA FLANDERS F35 0:39:15
2 KELLY COSSOM F30 0:40:05
3 ROCHELLE THORPE F20 0:40:14
4 MOIRA O’BRIEN-SMITH F16 0:40:55
5 FAY AGATHANGELOU F30 0:40:58
6 EULALIA VAN BLOMESTEIN F40 0:41:27
7 ANDERSON CARRIE F45 0:41:32
8 HANNAH PAGET F20 0:41:35
9 RACHEL WEST F35 0:41:49
10 ROLENDA GIORGI F40 0:42:26
Men’s 5km
Place Name Age Cat Time
1 DEAN MENZIES M20 0:16:34
2 CHRISTOPHER CUMMINS M16 0:17:05
3 CHARTT MILLER MU16 0:17:57
4 LIAM SORRELL M16 0:17:57
5 MATTHEW ELWELL MU16 0:18:17
6 KIM THOMAS M35 0:18:27
7 SEAN KONIG M20 0:18:30
8 PAUL GILBERT M16 0:18:36
9 GARETH TARRANT M35 0:18:40
10 SIMON BATH M25 0:18:49
Women’s 5km
Place Name Age Cat TIme
1 MATHILDA CONNELL FU16 0:19:19
2 HANNAH CASTLE F16 0:19:30
3 KATHERINE STOCKWELL FU16 0:20:02
4 JENELLE CROOKS F16 0:20:15
5 EMMA BAARS FU16 0:20:19
6 KRISTIE MORRISON FU16 0:20:34
7 ROSE CONNELL FU16 0:20:58
8 MAYA STAWSKI FU16 0:21:07
9 FIONA LEONARD F40 0:21:12
10 SIENNA ARCHER FU16 0:21:57
Roberto Busi. Photo credit: Dash
Photography
Mathilda Connell. Photo credit: Dash
Photography
Dean Menzies. Photo credit: Dash
Photography
Samantha Flanders. Photo credit:
Dash Photography
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