Ice-breaker for Bendelle
Nathan Bendelle ended a run of seven top-five finishes to break through for his first win in more than 18 months with Stawell and Ararat Cross Country Club at Mcdonald Park.
In bitterly cold conditions, Bendelle easily won the eight-kilometre Thompson Family Handicap, the same race that in 2014, his first year, gave him the first of his three wins with the club.
“It’s been a bit of a battle to get back into form again. And it’s real hard to juggle time for training when you are doing shift work,” the 39-year-old Ararat welder said.
“I had some problems with illness and injury last year, but somehow managed to average 60 kilometres in training a week.
“I had been running 14 kilometres between Romsey and Lancefield visiting my parents, but things have changed. This year I’m down to just 30 a week, including a five-kilometre park run on Saturdays.”
Starting from the same handicap as runner-up Julie Hertz, Bendelle had pegged back front-markers, veterans Gary Saunders and Stephen Baird, by about the sixkilometre mark and was never threatened by either Hertz or Peter Gibson who led chasers.
“I ran my first half marathon in Melbourne last year and I’ll aim for that again this year,” Bendelle said.
“I wanted to run my first full marathon before I reached the age of 40. I won’t quite get there but at least it will be easier to find time to train half the distance.”