Welcome to the VCCL

Since its inception in 1933, the Victorian Cross Country League has conducted cross country events throughout the Melbourne metropolitan area over distances of five kilometres to ten miles. The Victorian Cross Country League welcomes new members, with free first year registration and competitive racing. If you do not wish to register you are welcome to run on a casual basis as a ‘fun runner’.

We race most Sunday mornings from May through to September, over a variety of surfaces and compete for trophies, sashes and prize money. We cater for all ages, and with a handicap system, all competitors have a winning chance.

No Bus Ride For Blakey

The Victorian Cross Country League ventured to Warringal Park in Heidelberg on Sunday for the 23^rd running of the Rendina Family 8km Handicap. Tony, Charlene and Christian Rendina have been long time sponsors and competitors with the club and Warringal Park is one of our more scenic courses.

The race was won by Gary Blake in a very comfortable manner with a margin of 29 seconds to spare over Mark Howard and Colin Davis. Gary showed by his placing at Karkarook that this win wasn’t far away and he is the third winner for the season to come off a VAL track season. Mark Howard, the VAL CEO, having his first run since 2010 chased hard and recorded his best cross country finish to run 32:34. Colin Davis continues his long awaited return to form and the rolling hills of Greenvale, in a fortnight, look most suitable to his style of racing. The run of the day belongs to the fifteen year old first starter Lucy Bartholomew who certainly showed she can handle the competitive side of handicap racing with her time of 32:24. Lucy finished sixth and also gained the first female novice award. Mark Howard was first male novice. The overall fastest time was Simon Field with a solid 25:39 and Corina Kapusta for the females with 30:34. Finishing in the top ten were Joel Donnar and David Haigh, winners from the first two weeks of the season.

Just outside the top ten was Tony Rendina, finishing a close eleventh. Tony, whose best ever run was a tenacious second to Pheidippides, has rediscovered his youth and seems likely to take a serious hand in this season’s events. The recently purchased “steward’s cam” will be used to follow Tony around in his next few races.

The VCCL would also like to thank Matthew Taylor for his generous sponsorship of the bonus that goes with this race every year. Hopefully Matthew will be back running with the VCCL in the near future.

The next race is two weeks away and is the 17^th Caruana 8km Classic at Woodlands Park in Greenvale, sponsored by Machelle and Joe Caruana. The race is a joint event with the Bendigo, Stawell and Ararat clubs. Please note the start time is 11am. The venue is one of the oldest homesteads in Victoria originally owned by the Greene family. A member of the Greene family was, as we all know, Sir William Stawell, Chief Justice of Victoria but apparently not a paid up member of the Stawell Cross Country Club.

The race set down for the 5^th of August will not be conducted around the two bridges (Yarra River) this year and a new venue will be announced in the next few weeks.

Have a happy Mother’s Day and enjoy your week off (that’s the runners not the mothers).

by Brian Marantelli on Tuesday, 8 May, 2012.

Haigh Leads From The Front

David Haigh, winner of the 2012 Fred Grubb Memorial Handicap

Week two of the Victorian Cross Country League saw the 10^th running of the Fred Grubb Memorial at Boeing Reserve in Strathmore. The event, sponsored by Robert Charlton and Greg Hutchinson in honour of their great friend and running mate Fred Grubb, is an out and back sealed handicap starting at the Essendon Baseball field and continuing along the Moonee Ponds creek.

The winner, improving on his good second in race one, was David Haigh with a twenty four second gap on Colin Davis and Craig Harris finishing third. David, fresh from a track season, raced with Adrian Phelan for the majority of the race and was able to improve on his Karkarook run by forty seconds to win the event comfortably. Colin Davis continued with his impressive start to the season with a solid second and Craig Harris was another to improve on his Karkarook run for third. Finishing fourth and gaining the fastest female prize was Corina Kapusta just ahead of Marcus Boxall. Tony Rendina and Tony Parsons fought out minor placings with last week’s winner Joel Donnar finishing in the top ten. Fastest time was recorded by Michael Marantelli (21:42), eventually finishing in twelfth place. The novice award went to first starter Mark Boyle with a time of 25:03.

Next week’s event is the 23^rd Rendina Family Handicap 8km at Warringal Park, starting at 10am.

Anyone wishing to catch the “party bus” to the run at Murchison on July 8^th, please see Lyn McKenzie. The cost is $25.

by Brian Marantelli on Tuesday, 1 May, 2012.

Welcome To Season 2012

The Victorian Cross Country League would like to welcome past members and new runners to the 2012 season, the club’s 80^th season. The season opens with the Moran Stable 6.5km race at Karkarook Park on Sunday April 22^nd and concludes with the President’s Handicap at Westerfolds Park on Sunday 16^th September.

The two main events will be the 47^th running of the Norm Charles 10km Classic at Lysterfield Park in late July with a prize pool of $2,500 and the Eaglehawk to Bendigo 6.5km road race in June. An additional event in this season’s calendar will be the Kyneton Estate Ridge 6.5km handicap, co-sponsored by the Hipworth Athletic Club. This event is an out and back course starting in the Kyneton Estate Ridge winery and racing through the Blackhill Reserve before returning to the winery for lunch and wine tasting.

As this is the VCCL’s 80^th year, a race commemorating this occasion will be held at Woodlands Homestead in Greenvale on 24^th June. The club will be inviting past members to join us at Greenvale to celebrate the occasion. In all, the calendar will consist of nineteen races and the teams relay event conducted at Norton’s Park.

As in the past, the VCCL offers free registration to new members whilst for current members the registration fee remains at $60, $30 for under 21s. Unfortunately due to rising costs, the VCCL has been forced to increase the weekly entry fee to $15. The bulk entry for the entire season remains at $140.

The VCCL social club host a barbecue and refreshments after each event. The VCCL races most weekends from April through to September over a variety of surfaces and distances competing for trophies, sashes and prize money. We cater for all ages, and have a handicap system which gives all competitors a winning chance. Those wishing not to register are welcome to run as fun runners.

by Brian Marantelli on Tuesday, 3 April, 2012.