The Geelong Relay was run on the weekend for championship points. Whilst those present did their best it was not enough to prevent another low finish with St Kevins now in last place in Division One. There are three more championship events in which to score as many points as possible to avoid relegation to Division Two. These events are:

1. Alan Hooley Relay (3.3k) - 25th July,
2. Williamson (6k) - 15th August, and
3. Cooke-McClelland (8k) - 12th September.

There were six St Kevins athletes competing in a field of 132 APSOC runners. The Geelong Relay is made up of teams of four. St Kevins finished 8th from the nine Division One teams in a time of 84m30s. The winning team was Old Haileybury in 72m50s.

The highlight again came from Mark De Luca running the third qickest time of the day.

Results were as follows (placing in brackets):

Mark De Luca - 18m263s (3rd)
Andrew Thomas - 21m51s (44th)
Dino Imbriano - 22m01s (50th)
Christian Keel - 22m12s (52nd)
Lincoln Mah - 22m26s (54th)
Nick O'Neill - 23m34s (67th)

Full results can be found at the APSOC Results Page.

Next week is the AV Lake Wendouree Road Race, 15k. Contact Mark Purvis if you intend on running.

A multiple Olympic champion and holder of numerous world records, including the current marathon world record, Haile Gebreselassie is commonly regarded as the world's greatest distance runner.

This interview with The Telegraph, published shortly before the London marathon last year offers a small insight into the approach that takes an individual from very humble beginnings to the pinnacle of world running.

Some of the quotes we liked include:

"...for Gebrselassie ... the single greatest factor determining his own running success, he insists, is discipline, a sharply self-improving attitude that he embraced from the age of seven..."

"Sport is not only fun. Imagine you do a 30-minute run, then go back to your house, take a shower and go to work. You will see the difference between your life with running and without it. If you do sport you are productive, you do more. Your brain starts to create new things. It is not just about finishing the marathon. It is natural to run."

"First, do enough training. Then believe in yourself ... Be committed. Go through the plan you have and say 'I have to do it' ... Always, if you win mentally, you can win physically as well."

Although not hugely insightful, this video also has some good footage:

This Saturday sees a return to teams racing in APSOC competition, after several weeks of AV and handicap events.

The Geelong Relay is not local for many people. However several members intend to make an afternoon of it, so with the added element of running as a team, it should be a great event. Contact Andrew Thomas on 0419 562 764 if you need a lift to Geelong.


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It was a chilly start to the McPhail Handicap at 9.30am on Saturday. But however mad it may have seemed from bed at 8am, after a kilometre or two along the Yarra and Merri Creek, it was a magnificent morning.

Ten SKAAC athletes were competing and it was a familiar sight at the front of the field, with Mark De Luca finishing in second place. Our next athlete home was Geoff Holden, showing the younger runners how it is done, in 30m37s.

In the handicap, Mark was again our best performer, in 15th, followed by Nick O'Neill in 20th and Christian Keel in 25th.

Results were as follows (placings in brackets are "scratch/handicap")

Mark De Luca - 26m13s (2nd/15th)
Geoff Holden - 30m37s (21st/31st)
Christian Keel - 31m20s (24th/25th)
Andrew Thomas - 31m38s (28th/40th)
Matt Anderson - 31m53s (invite)
Nick O'Neill - 33m35s (36th/20th)
Regan Logan - 33m48s (37th/76th) (8th female)
Lincoln Mah - 34m38s (45th/56th)
Patrick Noonan - 35m22s (52nd/79th)
Chloe Cornwall - 37m13s (65th/48th) (17th female)

Full results can be found at the APSOC Results Page.

Next week we have a return to teams racing, with the Geelong Relay along the river at Queen's Park.

An early start for the the McPhail, at 9.30am this Saturday. The McPhail is a sealed handicap (start together, with handicap winners revealed at the end) and is a particularly good event for true cross country enthusiasts - especially those who do not like to leave the city to find "country" - with a varied 8km course in Yarra Bend Park.

Course information can be found on the APSOC Events Page.


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SKAAC athletes took part in the AV SKINS 10km road race at Sandown as part of the APS United team.

Results were as follows:

Mark De Luca - 33m11s; 55th
Kason Kozica - 40m20s; 301st
Lincoln Mah - 40m53s; 319th

Full results can be found on the AV Website.

Next event is the McPhail at Yarra Bend. An early start for this one: 9.30am, but a good venue and it leaves the rest of the day free, so we expect a fairly good turn out anyway. See you all there!