The kangaroos came out to watch the action during Round 8 of cross country on 6th June 2026. Numbers were slightly down due to the King’s Birthday long weekend, but as always, enthusiasm was high and competitors enjoyed another great afternoon of cross country running.
Henry Giumelli was first home in the 1km event, crossing the line in 5:34. Luca Sturgiss followed in second with 5:55, while Olive Sturgiss was third in 7:15. Claire Bozikov enjoyed the course and finished in 8:57. Sophie Giumelli was fifth in 9:20, Patrick Giumelli sixth in 9:22, and Hayes Sturgiss rounded out the field in 10:47.
Owen Jones claimed the points victory in the 2km event with a strong run of 7:38. Jaxon Keogh was second in 9:35, followed by Hollie Giumelli in 11:38. Charli Keogh placed fourth in 9:33, while Zane Taylor recorded the fastest time of the day over the 2km distance with 7:50. Peter Dooley finished sixth in 10:00, Xander Day seventh in 12:31, and Hamish Bennett eighth in 10:21.
Nine competitors lined up for the 3km event, with Jacob Wilson taking the win in 16:57. Malachy Martin was second in 19:50, while a fast-finishing Emerson Boatswain secured third place on points and recorded the fastest time with an impressive 12:56. The friendly Emmerton family rivalry continued, with Alex Emmerton finishing fourth in 17:41, Ben Emmerton fifth in 18:46, and Mitch Emmerton sixth in 18:01. Jack Kinsele ran strongly for seventh in 15:11, Declan Bennett recorded an excellent 13:52, and Mila Bozikov completed the field in 16:17.
Lauren Sturgiss claimed a well-deserved victory in the 5km event, finishing in 26:41. Katie Martin placed second in 32:29, Eva Moeller-Duhme was third in 43:54 and Sam Keogh was fourth in 28:02. Scott Armstrong was the fastest runner on course, recording 20:25, followed by Ron Cozijnsen in 24:10 and Tristan Corbridge in 24:14. Dean Bryce clocked a solid 26:12 for eighth place. In a closely contested battle, Lisa Carroll finished ninth in 34:22, Sky Martin tenth in 35:28, and Matt Kinsele eleventh in 35:26.
There were just two competitors brave enough to tackle the demanding long course. Rebecca Cooper (57:02) narrowly edged out Peter Khourey (57:14) in a thrilling finish, crossing the line just 12 seconds ahead to claim the win.
