The second meeting of the Victorian Milers Club featured graded races over 800m and 1500m on a picturesque evening at Hagenauer Reserve on Tuesday the 10th of December.
With Melbourne’s iconic Lakeside Stadium currently under the knife, Box Hill’s Hagenauer Reserve has established itself as the hub of Victorian athletics for the summer.
Whilst Strava is the undisputed king of apps on any runner’s phone, WillyWeather can often run a good race for second the days leading up to race day, as athletes eagerly anticipate race conditions.
You’d be amazed how exciting a drop from 20km/h winds to 15km/h winds can be!
The weather posed no threat on Tuesday though with light winds and a dry track ensuring conditions conducive to fast times and an enthralling night of athletics.
As the crowd rolled in and packed the grassy hill on the back straight, the 800m athletes set the tone as the sun set to the soothing vocals of Tim Crosbie.
You’d almost take your girlfriend there.
I like to think of the lower grades of races at Milers as the passing of the torch, as the stubborn stiff-legged veterans with the flexibility of a brick attempt to hold off the young whipper snappers, who seemingly register cadences of about 300 (but it might be 290, so don’t quote me on that).
It makes for exceptional viewing.
But it was soon time for the cream of the crop to float around the track, here’s how it unfolded:
For full results and times, head to the AV Results Hub.
Men’s 800m A
The Men’s 800m A heat featured the regulars.
Jacob Reed was back after taking out the event at the first Milers Meet, as he looked to string together a picket fence. On that occasion he got the better of former equal Australian record holder over 800m, Alexander Rowe, who would also return toe the line at Box Hill with Andre Waring and Jack Stummer.
Waring was back over the shorter trip after a blistering 3:48.82 for 1500m on the very same track just two weeks earlier at Box Hill’s annual Whitehorse Twilight Meet.
The additions of Robert Lister, Grant Muir and Luke Shaw added depth to a very classy field.
After scrambling start it would be Luke Shaw who found the lead, ahead of Knuckey (who was sporting an unreal speedsuit), followed by Lister, Muir and Rowe as they settled and were greeted by the bell after just 53 seconds.
Shaw extended down the back straight, reluctant to give up his lead, as the long-striding Knuckey poured on the pressure and Lister scraped the railing. Muir close enough if good enough.
Shaw had seen nothing but clear space since the crossing, but as they cornered the home straight he would soon have Lister breathing down his neck, and would eventually succumb to the powerful Lister surge.
Shaw held on for a valiant second placing, ahead of Muir who flashed home for third in the Athletics Chilwell colours.
Women’s 800m A
There were two races in the Women’s 800m A event. The first was hometown hero Georgia Griffith coming up against the almighty clock, and the other was everyone else against… everyone esle.
Griffith was undoubtedly the class runner of the field, fresh off a world championships campaign in Doha where she ran the 1500m.
Griffith set her intentions early as she sizzled through the first 200m in 29 seconds and established a 10m lead over second fastest seed, Bernadette Williams, before settling into rhythm.
She would proceed to meet the bell at 62 seconds, followed by Williams through in 64, and the chase pack in 66.
Griffith lengthened down the back as the $125 cash bonus for a time between 2:03.1-2:04.0 became a reality. Williams was failing to make any inroads, but was holding the chase pack at bay.
As the race wound up it became clear that everyone was a winner. Griffith walked away with a neat time of 2:05.84, the Milers Club kept their money, and Williams and the chase pack led by Brigitte Humphrey rounded out a high quality race.
Men’s 1500m A
Young gun central.
The Men’s 1500m A heat boasted two types of names – big names, and names that are about to be big.
The Steve Fabris stable (Rising Track Club – check out there Insta @rising.tc, I rate it anyway), was out in force – ably led by Will Lewis. Lewis and his disciples would be up against the forces of Mitch Thompson, Yuan Chow Lui, the refreshed Tom Sellwood, and Milers staple Matthew Scott.
Whilst unfamiliar over the 1500m trip, it would be a brave Scott who drew the first blood with a bold move as he bounded to the early lead. Trailing Scott were a host of teenagers including Lewis, Sellwood, Roberts and Lui.
The 800m man set the pace and made the race, but dwindled at the bell as Thomson made a move full of authority.
A watchful Will Lewis caught the back of Thompson and the two heavyweights were set alight. Behind them would be the Craig Mottram coached Tom Sellwood, and a raging Josh Collins, thrashing his head about but moving rapidly nonetheless.
Thomson and Lewis made light work of the last lap as they ran away from the field, but it was Thomson who saluted (literally) to take the win.
Sellwood rounded out the trifecta and edged closer to the elusive sub 3:50 barrier.
Amazingly, Scott drifted from 1st place to 8th place in the space of 150m before displaying what I’d like to describe as some genuine gas to get home for 4th.
12 of the 13 competitors broke the 4-minute mark, and whilst it may not have been Nathan Pearce’s night, we all know you can’t keep a man of that caliber down. Keep your eyes peeled for #nafenation next meet.
You get the feeling that these blokes are going to be racing each other for a long time to come.
Women’s 1500m A
The women’s 1500m field consisted of a wide range of seed times, headlined by two 2019 World Championship representatives in Paige Campbell and Morgan Mitchell.
Campbell applied her craft in the steeple in Doha, whilst Mitchell silenced the critics by qualifying for the semi-final of the previously uncharted 800m journey under the tutelage of Elizabeth Mathews (Team Mathews Running – @team_mathews_running on Instagram, not your worst follow).
But here they were at a local athletics meet on a Tuesday night over 1500m.
Mitchell flirted with the early lead but refused to assume control, as Campbell slammed on the accelerator and had the field in single file in no time. That’s what Milers is all about!
Campbell maintained control with Mitchell trailing 20m behind throughout the middle stages of the race, as Bernadette Williams surged into third place after her 2nd placing in the 800m A event. Incredible.
In a relatively uneventful affair it was Campbell who held off a fast-finishing Mitchell to take the home the victory, with Shanie Landen winding it up to pinch 3rd ahead of the resilient Williams.
Mitchell’s strength over the last lap to secure a solid PB over the 1500m is a strong indicator of her improved endurance base, which is a scary thought when you consider her 800m best of 2:00.06 almost six months prior.
The former sprinter is knocking on the door of a sub 2 minute 800m, and if no one answers it looks like she is going to kick it down anyway.
Catriona Bisset currently holds the Australian national record of 1:58.78 after an outstanding season, and with Mitchell (2:00.06) and Griffith (2:00.13) following her lead- it is a very exciting time for Australia’s 800m fleet.
Men’s 1500m B
This ‘B’ heat oozed a bit of class.
Johnny Gusman found the top and assumed control whilst modelling a dynamic duo of arm warmers and a headband.
Each to their own, I’m a fan.
Whilst Gusman controlled the front, Dion Finocchairo patrolled the back with AV staff member Sean Whipp.
Finocchairo, a member of Sean Williams’ ‘Melbourne Pack’, is no stranger to laps of an athletics track and has displayed his ridiculous range in the past few months.
How’s this for a timeline!
October 27th – 100km – 7:03:30 (4:14/km)
November 14th – 5km – 15:09
November 28th – 1500m – 4:04
December 4th – 10km – 31:30
The Frankston duo of Lachie Enno and Jess Dunsmore along with Doug Buckeridge kept in contact with the lead bunch, as the bell spelled trouble for Gusman after doing a mountain of work out front.
The moves came at the 300 with the training partners of Enno and Dunsmore injecting some serious speed into the race, with Buckeridge warming up the engine in hot pursuit.
They wanted sub 4 and they needed to be seriously good from there.
But good they were.
Enno and Dunsmore showed pure grit to grind out the last 200m and both sneak under 4 minutes, with Enno even having time to pull up and comprehend the feat.
Buckeridge channeled his inner sprinter with a textbook dip in desperation, but unfortunately he fell agonisingly short, running 4:00.90.
Buckeridge is an elite young talent and look out for him to break 4 minutes at the next Milers meet on the 23rd of January. You’d back him to the hills from here.
Men’s 800m B
If you want your son to win athletics races, send him to St Kevins.
The 800m B heat consisted of a host of chances, headlined by near religious Vic Milers competitor Darcy Powne (the pacemaker guy).
Humphreys was the pilot, ahead of Carr and Powne as they strung out early and Rob Cap could see them all.
This was the only race of the night where two athletes wore sunglasses.
Powne threw down the gauntlet on the back straight and there weren’t many takers as he surged to what seemed to be an assertive lead.
Enter Matthew Hussey.
Powne took them into the home straight as Carr launched himself into contention and Hussey tacked on.
But in the last 50m it was all Hussey, as he made class runners look like they were treading water.
The Milers Club will be back on the 23rd of January with another installment of 800m and 1500m races.
Congrats to everyone who competed and cheers to everyone who helps organise and support these great meets.
-Lachie Moorhouse.
Words by House 