Craigie train rolls on

The Craigie domination of the Lindsay Kent Easter Sunday Memorial Fun Run rolled on when Canberra visitor Alan Craigie won the five-kilometre event in Stawell for the fifth time in the past six years.

His only defeat in the Stawell and Ararat Cross Country Club event since 2013 came in 2014 when his brother Kevin was first to the timekeepers. Alan’s sister-in-law was the first female to finish in 2016.

In 2016, Craigie had amused onlookers at the presentation of sashes when he said, “I challenge you all to knock me off in 2017. You won’t but it will be fun to try.” But since then his tone has moderated. “I don’t know how long this streak can go on for,” the 34-year-old said after his latest triumph.

“I’m getting older and I was challenged by a younger fella for most of the way today.”

Craigie’s time of 16.16 minutes easily eclipsed the 17.10 he posted last year in what was a satisfying warm-up for the Australian Mountain Running Championship at Hobart’s Mount Wellington next Sunday – a 10-kilometre slog from the base of the mountain to the summit.

First female to finish the fun run was Alison Wilson who had previously won in 2011 and 2013. Wilson had drifted away from serious running after her seventh marathon but is now looking for further goals.

Warrnambool teenager, Lochie Worden, another repeat winner after success in 2012-13, ran a cracking 11.41 to easily win a three-kilometre under-16s sash.