Runners take on adventure run
SINCE 2009 the Rotary Club of Toowoomba South has run the Creek to Crest Adventure Run and the Cabarlah Fun Run.
Runners in the Creek to Crest start in Murphys Creek, and finish in Costello Road, Cabarlah. Those contesting the Fun Run start in Costello Rd, run out to the extent of the asphalt in Fernbank Rd (top of the range), and return.
The Creek to Crest is 10.4km in length, and climbs 370m, over primarily gravel (4WD) road.
The race is judged, by some who have contested both, to be tougher than the King of the Range. The Fun Run is 5km.
In 2013 the main road was under heavy reconstruction, resulting in greater usage of the gravel road up to Cabarlah.
Because of this heavy usage it was deemed unsafe to hold the event, and both runs were cancelled.
This year the races were back, and were held on Sunday, March 23.
A field of 21 joined the fray for the Creek to Crest. Matthew Robbie of Brisbane won the event with a time a shade over 46 minutes.
This betters the time originally set be Glen Benecke in 2009 and 2010 by almost two minutes, but is two minutes shy of the current record, set by Ben McCronan in 2012, of 44 minutes, 3 seconds.
Simon Kelderman was second and Russell Van Hoff was third.
Glenda Banaghan won the ladies’ division with Cara Pinches second and Felicity Tait third.
The Cabarlah Fun Run was won by John Croft with a time of 25 minutes and six seconds. Dennis Kalinawski was second and Ann Guyatt third.
Whilst the nature of the Creek to Crest has not changed, the club has extended the format to now accept entries of teams of four, to provide a training opportunity for those wishing to join the Kokoda Challenge, also run by the club, in May.