Whitewash win

Matt White converted a casual training schedule into an intensive one and staged a form reversal to win the first race of his life at Concongella on Saturday.

Having only his second crosscountry run with Stawell Amateur Athletic Club, the 30-yearold rookie stunned more seasoned clubmates by racing away with the 5.5-kilometre handicap after finishing only 11th at his only previous run with the club.

“I hadn’t done much training at all before that first race, but since then I’ve adopted a half-marathon-training program, running three or four times a week over distances up to 16 kilometres,” the Parks Victoria ranger said.

“I can be pretty obsessive once I start out on something.”

White had some form, having recently adopted an interest in the rigorous sport of rogaining.

Rogaining is a form of orienteering in which teams pit their skills against others navigating over long distances of cross country to reach checkpoints within time limits to score points.

When asked what kind of fitness level was required for the sport, White replied simply, “Well, in the last one we did, we were on our feet for 12 hours and covered 48 kilometres.”

Steeled by such endeavours it was not surprising that White had the stamina to power-run the hills and frustrate the chasers to beat returning club veteran Terry Jenkins by 1.19 minutes, with Luke Baker third in an auspicious debut.

In sub-juniors over one kilometre, Chloe Hunter picked her dad’s race to finish for the first time and defeat the brave runners-up, Tom Collins and Barney Baker.

The club returns to the Ironbarks on Saturday for a five-kilometre handicap. Fun runners are welcome and should meet at North Park clubrooms from 9.30am.