Commonwealth Games Walks - Starting Lists

THe Commonwealth Games Start lists for the 3 walks are now up on the Games

website at http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/

Select 'Athletes' from the index and then put in any walker's name and you will pick up a link to the full start list for that particular event as well as links to biographic information for each competitor.

Start lists are as follows

20 Km Walk Men

AUS ADAMS Luke 22/10/1976 29

AUS DEAKES Nathan 17/08/1977 28

AUS TALLENT Jared 17/10/1984 21

ENG KING Daniel 30/05/1983 22

ENG KING Dominic 30/05/1983 22

ENG PENN Andrew 31/03/1967 38

FIJ CHAND Dip 27/08/1969 36

IND JALAN Parayil 23/10/1983 22

IOM PARTINGTON Steve 17/09/1965 40

KEN KIMUTAI ROTICH David 19/08/1969 36

MAS MOHD SHARRULHAIZY Abd 19/02/1980 26

20 km Women

AUS SAVILLE Jane 05/11/1974 31

AUS SAVILLE Natalie 07/09/1978 27

AUS WEBB Cheryl Leigh 03/10/1976 29

ENG JACKSON Johanna Frances 17/01/1985 21

ENG MENENDEZ Niobe Jonilla 01/09/1966 39

IND L. DEVI Deepmala 16/04/1985 20

RSA CRONJE Nicolene 16/06/1983 22

RSA ERASMUS Suzanne Gertruida 28/09/1985 20

SRI GALLAGE Geetha Nandani 18/09/1978 27

50 km walk men

AUS COUSINS Duane 13/07/1973 32

AUS DEAKES Nathan 17/08/1977 28

AUS ERICKSON Christopher 01/12/1981 24

CAN BERRETT Tim 23/01/1965 41

FIJ CHAND Dip 27/08/1969 36

IOM PARTINGTON Steve 17/09/1965 40

MAS MOHD SHARRULHAIZY Abd 19/02/1980 26

NZL BARRETT Craig 16/11/1971 34

NZL SARGISSON Tony 24/06/1975 30

NGR AROSANYIN Charles 23/06/1967 28

Tim

--

Tim Erickson

terick@melbpc.org.au

Kahlefeldt doubles haul

http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,18511303-5002868,00.html

48 HEURES PEDESTRES de SURGERES

48 HEURES PEDESTRES de SURGERES
             12  au  14  MAI  2006

  E  N  G  A  G  E  S

Dames                    âge

1     Cornelia  BULLIG          45          Allemagne
2     Pamela  REED          45          Etats-Unis
3     Sue-Ellen  TRAPP          60               «           
4     Edit  BERCES          40          Hongrie
6       Sumie  INAGAKI          40          Japon
8     Masae  KAMURA           48             «
9     Michaela  DIMITRIADU          30          Rép. Tchèque
10     Galina EREMINA          50          Russie
12     Irina  KOVAL          45                 « 
14     Irina  REUTOVICH          55                 « 
15     Nina  MYTROFANOVA          45          Ukraine
16     Christine  BODET          45          France
17     Christiane  Le CERF          55                 «
19     Joëlle  SEMUR          45                 « 

Messieurs

20     Wolfgang  SCHWERK          50          Allemagne
22     Jesper  OLSEN          34          Danemark
23     Kenji OKIYAMA                    Japon
24     Vlastimil  DVORACEK          45          Rép. Tchèque
25     Vladimir TIVIKOV                         Russie
26     Jean-Gilles  BOUSSIQUET       60          France
27     Emmanuel CONRAUX          35             « 
28     Claude HARDEL          45             « 
29     Alain  MALLEREAU          55                 «
30     Jean-Pierre  RENAUD          45                 « 

Bellovin wins Silver Medal

Bellovin wins silver medal

Thomas Wenning - Irish Run

http://www.irlandrun.com/page1.html

Commonwealth Games - NOW ON

http://m2006.bigpond.com/

http://www.melbourne2006.com.au/Channels/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/commonwealth_games/default.stm

Canberra 50km - 9 April 2006

The Canberra 50 km to be held in conjunction with the Canberra marathon on 9 April has been awarded Selection Race status for the annual IAU 50km trophy race. What this means is that the winning male and female (provided sub 3:20/3:40) will gain automatic entry to the IAU trophy race in Europe with airfares provided. This IAU race carries prizemoney.

The Canberra 50km has also recently been awarded the AURA 50km road championship status and carries double points for placings in relation to the recently revamped AURA points competition. The points competition has $2000 worth of prizes.

Although now too late to enter the event, those who have entered the marathon can run the extra distance so as to complete the 50km.

I will be at the AURA table with samples of the recently released clothing range and memberships application forms.

for more information go to http://www.canberramarathon.com.au/

IAU 24hr World Challenge - An Irish Perspective

Ireland sent its first ever team to a major ultra running championships for the 2006 world 24 hour championships in Taiwan 25/26th Feb. The team format  was 6 men maximum with best 3 to count.

We had Galway's Richard Donovan who is the North Pole and also Antarctica marathon/ ultra  director. Richard had run a 100km race on Antarctica a few weeks before and is the record holder for the Mallin Head to Mizzen Head circa 600 km run from north to south Ireland.  Marty Rea from Belfast who ran 2.38 in the Dublin marathon last October and a month before this event had warmed up with a cracking performance to finish 2nd in a big 45 mile race in England.

Eoin Keith originally from Cork is a tough hill runner,
mountain biker, multi day adventure runner who holds the record for the
Wicklow Way 50km trail race and was 2nd in the Tooting 24 hour with a best of 198.5 km. I am from Dublin and have set several ultra records on the road, track and treadmill. So, we had one runner from each of Irelands 4 provinces. We had decided this would also serve as the Irish 24 hour championships.

The course was a really testing! - a 987 metre loop in a local park close to Taipei city. It was near an airport so there were planes taking off and landing all the time!  about 600m of which was run on  concrete paths, a short sharp hill, 9 turns plus bends a narrow pathway  where we ran parallel with another the separate open 24 hour race for about 150 metres every lap.

Later during the rain this area flooded and was to prove difficult as it was difficult to get by slower runners and the walkers who were often 2 abreast. There were a few large  bollards covered with high viz cones on the path just before we turned into the finishing straight. Slippery wooden boards over some potholes and drains. A  maintenance crew were repairing one at one stage while we were running over it!

Humidity was about 90 per cent and temp was pretty cool at the 10 am. start. The flags of the 20 odd competing nations were around the course. At times the wind was strong and it rained straight for 10 hours through the night till about 2 hours before the finish.

The Irish team all started off nice and steady. Richard and I were running about 10 km an hour while Eoin and Marty were running together about one lap less an hour. We were gratefully aided by the New Zealand team manager Sandy. The team tables were lined out alphabetically and when Sandy offered we asked if we could have our table shifted! Thanks Sandy!

I enjoyed meeting many of my friends from the ultra running community from around the world - especially team USA many of which I knew and competed against from my 8 years living over there.
In the early evening  we were all still running strongly and no doubt doing well in the team competition.
I felt I had probably gone off a bit too fast. In my mind I had settled for the " dream distance" (which never worked for me before) as opposed to the " realistic distance " for the 24 hours.In the previous 10 months due to work  commitments and injuries my training was all over the place! I somehow
managed to keep the long runs ( about 30/35 ranging from 32 - 50 km ) going. My training was such a mess that I lost interest in keeping a training diary. My work in construction is very physical and I felt this was also key.The long runs were mostly loops in Dublin's Phoenix Park. This park is surely one of the best city parks in the world to train in as it has such a variety of testing  trail loops just 16 minutes run from my home and across the road from my running club house Metro St. Brigid's A.C. I often ran to the park ran with the club for a while and continue on on my own.When injured I ran very slowly on a treadmill.

In Taiwan I was taking my usual race diet of liquid carbohydrate food,
energy gels and electrolytes. I threw up just after taking a gel and decided to supplement it with bananas and the odd energy bar. I was also walking the short 50 m sharp hill most laps as much for a mental break as for a recovery break negating this hill and using the slight downhill for further recovery. Sometimes while I was walking up this hill I felt myself swaying and almost as though running in my sleep!
At the half way mark just as the rain started I got a blister on the middle toe of my left foot. I had tried running through it but it wasn't working.

The American doctor, Andy Lovy lanced it and I was out of the pit stop in 2 minutes, thanks doc! Later I was to lose that toe nail.
The locals were out cheering us on through the night in the terrible
weather.I was still keeping the 10 k.p.h. pace going.
At the end of each lap our laps were recorded by a champion chip as we ran over a mat under the timing clock. There were also manual backup recording by the local High School kids who were very enthusiastic about the race many staying for the entire race and always had a smile and words of encouragement to offer. I learnt how to say " thank you "  in Chinese and it went down a treat.I never knew what position was in.

A couple of hours later my pace dropped to about 8.5 k.p.h. I was feeling a bit sluggish. It was very tough going. Richard and I went through the 100 miles in around 16 and a half hours which was about 15 minutes outside his Irish record. We both wanted the Irish 24 hour road record of 209.5km set by Don Mc Donald in 1992 and my overall record (track) of 213.6km and the Irish 24 hour road championship. We were pushing each other hard. It would be no good for either of us to finish 2nd! He looked much stronger and was about a lap up on me. At this stage Marty and Eoin had problems and started walking
more.

Eoin, unfortunately had to drop out with calf problems while Marty
took an extended break. Richard told me he was going to take a short break and I managed to lead him by 5 laps upon his return.
We ran together and he then had to retire due to an old injury. Marty was back running strongly again. I knew the records were mine if I could just keep running but it was hard mentally. Other than a half dozen bathroom stops and to pull on my windbreaker with spare numbered Irish singlet, the blister and sometimes slowing to get refreshments I was moving for the entire race.

I find it hard to recall details exactly after a race and comments are my
best recollection. Even to time a lap if I made a note of the time at the start by the end of the lap I would have forgotten what it was at the start!

Think I was running about 7 minute laps With about 2 hours to go when I bagged the records I was asking myself what was the point of the punishment? Someone told me I was in 21st place.Then I realized I was wearing an Irish singlet was lucky not to be injured and wanted to make the record a bit harder for the next attempte. With 220km a possibility and 140 miles a significant milestone in 24 hour ultra running.
My best calculations told me I was going to be about 2 miles off this. Every time I ran by the Irish table Sandy and the boys were cheering Marty and I along. Marty was running really well. With an hour and a half to go I pulled off the windbreaker and went for home! I couldn't believe it from a tired sluggish canter I was lapping some of the best runners and was quickly moving up the field. I never knew who was on same lap or near me I just kept going with the 140 mile carrot. In the last hour I was flying and often holding myself back in case I blew apart and managed my best hour of 12 km.

With 10 minutes to go I managed to get just over 2 more laps in.Its truly amazing what the body and mind can do when given a challenge.

At last the hooter went on 24 hours.  We had been given markers to mark our partial laps on the last lap. After marking the exact spot I was quickly given a chair which I gratefully collapsed into.This was just opposite the first aid station! I limped over with the volunteers and had my old ankle injury treated. The injury had just reoccurred. Timing is everything I guess! Two weeks later I am still a bit tired. I did a short run last week and was very stiff. I will probably start back again tomorrow as I miss it!

The Irish team finished 11th.

I finished 16th in 228.299km/ 141.85 miles. Nobody was more surprised than
me! There were 2 more places within less than 600 m.

Marty finished in 41st place in 192.9 km

Richard finished in 55th place in 163.9 km

Eoin finished in 66th place in 145.1 km

That night we went out and had a celebration meal and went to a sports bar called the Brass Monkey. We had forgotten that Ireland was playing Wales in the 6 nations rugby tournament. The match was just starting and we celebrated a great win for the Irish team.Before the race we had avoided having a Chinese meal for fear of getting sick. The first thing I did when I got back to Ireland was to home order one for some friends with a bottle of champagne!

Posted by Tony Mangan.
Results www.iau.tw click onto World Challenge , Taipei.

Vlastik Skvaril carries Queen's Baton

While this year relay is receiving a lot of publicity I suspect that most people would know only the fact that is going around Australia to deliver the Queen’s message to the opening of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

I feel very honoured to be selected as one of the 3,500 runners to carry the Baton. Also very lucky especially since there were some 50,000 nominations received by the committee. I was allocated a section of the run in Penguin’s Main Street – a small, pictures town in Tasmania near Burnie. It was a very special occasion for me. My whole family including six grandchildren came to watch it to emphasize the significance of that moment. Meeting with the officials and other runners prior to the run again reinforced the feeling of being a part of a very special event.

It was amazing to see how many people turned up for the occasion. The excitement started building up as the convoy of cars and Police motorbikes approached with the runner and support crew following and before I knew it was my turn to carry the Baton.
I don’t think that I can find the right words to describe the feeling of being a part in this history making event.
The first time Her Majesty’s ‘message to the athletes’ in a purpose- built batton was carried in 1958 to Cardiff, Wales and since then it has become a tradition.

The Melbourne 2006 Queen’s Baton Relay commenced on 14 March 2005. It is the world’s longest, most inclusive relay. In it’s duration of one year and one day it will travel more than 180,000 km through all 71 nations of the Commonwealth. This the world’s first: no games relay has ever visited all member nations.

In Australia it travels 21,500 km in 50 days visiting more than 500 communities in all states and territories.
The baton itself is a technical marvel. Every detail has some special meaning. The shape takes its inspiration from the physical form of athletes arching forward as they strive for success. Seventy one lights on front – one for each nation progressively light up as the baton arrives in each Commonwealth destination. The material – gold and magnesium hold special significance for people of Victoria. The gold reflects the important role the metal played in history and prosperity of Melbourne. Magnesium – the metal of the future. Australia is one of the world’s largest producers with the metal having special significance to Australia’s prosperity and future.

The most important part of the baton is a memory chip with Her Majesty’s message. There are also two tiny cameras and two microphones transmitting images to the games websites. Each runner wears a “thumb glove” which triggers exciting visual effects during baton exchanges.

I will never forget those few minutes I spent being part of this great event. This gave me to opportunity to think again about how lucky I am to be an Australian and a part of this great Commonwealth of nations with the Queen as our head. I am very proud of it.

Vlastik Skvaril
Burnie, 12th March 2006.

Saville flagged for Top Honour

Saville flagged for top honour
By Kelvin Healey
12-03-2006
From: Sunday Herald Sun
 

Saville ... "This could provide closure," said Steve Moneghetti of Saville. Picture: Nathan Edwards
COMMONWEALTH Games champions want race walker Jane Saville, who won the sympathy of the nation when she was disqualified minutes from Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000, to carry the Australian flag at Wednesday's Opening Ceremony.
Saville is competing in her fourth Commonwealth Games and vying for a third consecutive gold medal.
The Australian Games team chef de mission John Devitt will decide the flag bearer within the next 24 hours and the name will be announced late tomorrow.
Victorian shooters Kim Frazer and Bruce Quick, swim team stalwart Adam Pine and cyclist Kathy Watt are also in line for the role.
Athletes village mayor Steve Moneghetti said Saville deserved to lead the Australian team into the MCG on Wednesday.
"She would be a good choice. She has been such a good contributor, she has had injuries and disappointments," he said. "She is well known after what happened in Sydney and this could help provide closure.
"We haven't had a track and field flag bearer for a time."
Track great Cathy Freeman added: "I agree with Mona. I'm very proud of Jane, I'm proud to say that I know her.
"I'm just very proud of her because I know that she would go out there and give it her best shot."
Saville is training in Sydney and does not plan to arrive in Melbourne until Thursday, but she said she would gladly come to Melbourne earlier if she was chosen to carry the flag.
"Gosh, you wouldn't pass up an opportunity like that," Saville said.
"It would be pretty cool, but I think there are a lot of athletes who would be picked ahead of me. "It would be a buzz."
Moneghetti said the flag bearer should be a team player who had the respect of other athletes and who had achieved at Commonwealth level.
"It is important we recognise it is a very significant role," Moneghetti said.
The last track athlete chosen as flag bearer was Rick Mitchell, in Brisbane in 1982.
In Manchester four years ago, weightlifter Damian Brown was given the honour, while swimmer Kieran Perkins was chosen in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 and shooter Ian Hale in 1994.
Despite lower profiles, shooters Frazer and Quick will be considered.
Frazer, 46, has won gold at each of the past three Games and Melbourne will be her swansong.
Quick, of Shepparton, has won 11 Games medals since first competing in Canada in 1994.
The swimming team is backing Pine, the first Australian swimmer to make four Games appearances and a five-time medallist.
And comeback cyclist Watt has a formidable Games record, including four gold medals, a silver and a bronze, in three previous Games.
Ian Thorpe was the likely flag bearer before illness forced him out of the Games.
Melbourne's other hopes, runner Tamsyn Lewis, hurdler Kyle Vander Kuyp and shooter Russell Mark, are outside chances.
 

Toyota 6-day race

http://www.ultradistance.co.za/ultradistance/6day/toyota/home6day.htm

Less than four weeks until this race starts.