Walker runs his way victory
Stawell Amateur Athletic Club cream rose to the top on Saturday when schoolboy champion Tom Walker and multiple club champion Col Barnett fought out the finish of a five-kilometre handicap race at Stawell.
In Walker’s first full season with the club, the 16-year-old flyer finally shook off the bridesmaid tag after finishing second in five previous races to score his maiden victory. Making light of sharply twisting turns and muddy hazards, Walker ran fast and fearlessly.
Barnett had chased relentlessly but rejoicing in a rare injury-free season he chose wisdom over valour, not risking a nasty fall to follow the spring-heeled Tom over obstacles. The precious seconds Walker saved might have been decisive because the youngster’s winning margin over the veteran was 27 seconds.
Walker, winding down his preparation for the Australian Cross Country Championships in Wollongong on August 26 under coach Keith Haymes, has a stellar career ahead of him.
He dares to dream of future Olympic representation with the 5000 metres in his sights.
“People keep asking me what I want to achieve with my running. I guess the Olympics is the ultimate dream,” he said. “I’m inspired by role models such as Steve Moneghetti, who I had a one-on-one with in a Ballarat café last year. He impressed upon me that as a runner you can run anywhere. You don’t really need state-of-the-art gear or equipment. The thing you most need is commitment.”
Walker is already passing on much that he has learned to nine-year-old Will Moloney who blitzed youngsters in a one-kilometre sub-junior race and then ran a sparkling race against the seniors. The club returns to the Ironbarks on Saturday for an eight-kilometre handicap. Fun runners are welcome.
Cross country
Keith Lofthouse capped off his most successful season of cross country racing with a win in an eight-kilometre Peter Gibson Handicap at Dunneworthy Common on Sunday. But Lofthouse later lamented a lack of interest in regional running clubs.
“I’ve won four races in seven weeks, two each with the Stawell and Ararat Cross Country Club and the Stawell Amateur Athletic Club,” he said.
“I’d have been happier with one if the clubs were healthier in terms of numbers.”
Lofthouse, a past secretary of the Ararat club and president of the Stawell amateurs, said he could not understand why people were frightened of competition.
“They turn out in vast numbers at fun runs, and while I appreciate the opportunities they provide for charities, a single fun run can cost more than membership which offers 20 races, virtually for free,” he said.
The veteran of more than 500 runs, firstly in Melbourne and now in his 10th year with Wimmera clubs, said the beauty of handicap racing meant the slowest runner often had as much chance of winning a race as the fastest.