The Churchill Handicaps

If you’re going through hell keep going

-Winston Churchill

Whoever decided upon the name of Churchill National Park certainly had a sense of irony about them. Far from being a hill of the church, as the hundred odd APSOC runners discovered today, this hill is the work of the devil.

Far more than just your average climb, this hill not only stretches out beyond the eyeshot of a weary runner, it bears no reward to those at the top. For those whose legs survive the lactic nightmare of summiting the hill, the gravelly drop that leads back to the foot replaces the moment of satisfaction with a striking fear.

Even for Stuart Pettigrew, no stranger to the course, it almost seems certain that at some point whilst descending one will lose control and collide with a tree, so he describes. Taking out 11th place in the handicap 6km race, Stuart says a decently paced first kilometre is key to mentally priming one’s self for the hill.

SKAAC athletes had good representation in the top end handicap 6km with Chloe Cornwell coming in as the first female, second overall. John  Cornwell performed similarly well, working hard for a top ten placing in the handicap as well as getting a top twenty time overall.

For those willing, mad or unsuspecting few who elected to compete in the 12km race, the grind repeated itself. Tristan Mioni pulled out all the stops to achieve his time of  47:34, the third quickest 12km time for the day. Honourable mentions must go to Matthew Dole and Joseph Lynch for their monumental effort in traversing this terror of a course.

Needless to say, the flat paths surrounding Albert Park Lake will come as sweet relief to the quadriceps and kneecaps of SKAAC runners next week at the Orchard Handicaps.