Former bike champ turns fleet of foot
Having endured a tough year of illness and hard work, former Ararat motocross champion Mike Jamieson broke a two-year drought when he triumphed on foot in Stawell and Ararat Cross Country Club’s season finale at Moyston.
Runners who had a barren year dominated the five-kilometre president’s handicap.
The first four to finish – Jamieson, Gary Saunders, Stephen Baird and rookie Rachel Mccready had barely enjoyed a podium finish between them in the 19-race season.
The injury-plagued Baird, for example, hadn’t tasted success at club level since 2010.
Jamieson was fastest of the four and deserved his win. A serious illness, requiring surgery, and a six-day working week, which often includes Sundays, prevented him from lining up in 11 of the 19 races.
“I have a day job, a family and run my own business, which leaves me very little free time and no time for training,” the 30-year-old workhorse said.
Jamieson is lucky to be blessed with natural ability, much like his club-mate Simon Gallagher who again ran fastest time on Sunday, as he has all year, but rarely trains more than once between races. “I know I’d be a better runner if I trained,” Jamieson said. “But I don’t have weight problems and once-a-week running puts no strain on my body, so there’s something to be said for that.”
The grey-bearded Saunders was 0.28 minutes behind Jamieson upon reaching the timekeepers, which meant his drought would extend to three years when he lines up again in 2018.
But the luckless Baird, who was almost a minute further behind the club’s most senior runner, will chalk up an unprecedented eight barren years if he again fails to win next season.