What a wonderful day the Trail Running Festival turned out to be!
Held in perfect conditions, the weather gods smiled upon us as sunshine, crisp winter air and even a mob of kangaroos provided the perfect backdrop for a memorable day on the trails. The festival was a tremendous success, attracting a fantastic field of runners, creating a vibrant atmosphere and receiving an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from participants. From first-timers to seasoned trail runners, everyone embraced the challenge, the camaraderie and the beautiful course, making it a day to remember.
The 3km event, sponsored by Amazing Dental, was won by Kai Thirwall, who led from the start and ran strongly to finish in 12:09. Second and third was a hard-fought battle between Declan Bennett and Leith Babian, with the judges awarding second to Declan, who was just a smidgen in front of Leith, although both recorded the same time of 12:22. Will Heffill ran strongly for fourth in 13:27, followed by Pax Reddy in 13:45. The female winner was Evie Binney in 13:49. Zayne Taylor was seventh in 14:00, followed closely by Ivy Donougher in 14:01, who took second in the female category. Third female was Piper Browne, hot on her heels in 14:09.
The finish line saw some thrilling contests throughout the 3km race. Andrew Heffill and Mila Bozikov produced a sprint finish, both stopping the clock at 15:04 to claim 11th and 12th places respectively. Close behind, spectators were treated to another exciting battle as Steph Donougher chased down Nardia Carraro in the final metres. Nardia and Steph crossed the line together in 15:30, with Chase Carraro just one second behind in 15:31.
One of the highlights of the 3km event was four-year-old Billy Milne, who ran the entire course, rounding out the field of 25, with a huge smile on his face and earning a well-deserved block of chocolate for his efforts!
The 5km event, sponsored by Bishops, had 38 participants. The standard was high, with the front runners producing outstanding performances across the board. Harrison Baxter claimed a convincing victory in an impressive 17:14, followed by Asher Everitt, who ran strongly for second in 18:06. Matt Reid rounded out the podium with another outstanding run, crossing the line in 18:43. Backing up after his podium finish in the 3km, Leith Babian produced another impressive run to finish fourth in 19:02, ahead of Mark Thirwall in 19:43. Amelia May claimed the women’s title, crossing the line in 20:07.
Scott Armstrong finished seventh, while Lana Crawford was the second female home in 21:16. Hugh Thirwall made a welcome return to running and showed his enduring fitness to finish ninth in 21:52. He was followed by Marcus Baxter (22:09), Jack Kinsele (23:18), Steve McCullagh (23:28), Simon Skelton (23:32) and Matt Kinsele (23:39). Rounding out the female podium was Josie Sproule, who crossed the line in 23:55 to finish fifteenth overall.
Ben Emmerton claimed the family bragging rights by crossing the line in 28th place in 29:46, producing an impressive sprint finish up the notorious Pinch Hill. Brother Alex Emmerton followed one place behind in 31:42.
Natasha Toms and Sky Martin tackled the course together from start to finish, setting off with smiles on their faces and, despite the challenging uphill finish, crossing the line side by side in an identical time of 34:09 – still smiling!
In the 10km event, sponsored by Athletes Foot, Nowra, there were 28 entrants. Casey Speer took an early lead in the 10km event and was never passed, claiming victory in 42:26. Lily Sproule produced an outstanding run to finish second overall and first female in 43:34. Tiffany Knight was close on Lily’s heels, taking second in the female category in 43:48, while Madeline Oke completed the female podium in 45:12.
Archie Scanlon crossed the line in fifth place as the second male in 45:36, with Quinten Slobbe securing third male honours in 46:47. Club member Gavin Dyball narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth male in 47:43.
Mitch Emmerton stepped up from the local cross country distances to tackle his first 10km trail event and impressed with a strong run, breaking the one-hour mark in 58:50.
Lara Gordon was another young athlete to earn family bragging rights, finishing a terrific 15th overall in 53:52, ahead of dad Russell Gordon, who crossed the line in 17th place in 54:41.
Another standout performance came from Alice Dawson, who completed her very first trail run in 1:11:13. Crossing the finish line with a huge smile, Alice perfectly embodied the fun spirit and sense of achievement that the Trail Running Festival is all about.
Another 31 enthusiastic participants took on the 2km Fun Run, with many backing up after competing in an earlier event including the top three runners of Lana Crawford, Madeline Oke and Piper Brown. Emily McLaren finished fourth, followed by Hallie Browne and Joel Browne. Declan Bennett, fresh from his podium finish in the 3km, crossed the line in seventh, ahead of Flynn Kelly and Kai Thirwall.
The Browne family certainly made their presence felt in the Fun Run, with Kenzie Browne (10th), Nate Browne (11th), Riley Browne (18th), Isla Browne (19th) and Sally Browne (20th) all taking part in addition to Piper, Hallie and Joel. Kylie Oke (12th) was another athlete who doubled up after racing earlier in the day.
It was wonderful to see so many families enjoying the festival together. The Giumelli family was well represented, with Henry (13th), Holly (22nd), Sophie (29th) and Patrick (30th) all completing the course. The Parmenter family also had a strong showing through Lani (14th), Grace (24th), Paige (25th) and Alyla (28th). Otto and Rosie Nichols enjoyed the 2km together, while Hamish Bennett (17th) and Luca Sturgiss (21st) also crossed the finish line with smiles on their faces. Alex, Ben and Mitch Emmerton all backed up for the Fun Run after their earlier races, proving that running with Nowra Athletics Club really is fun!
Club member extraordinaire Terry Bailey took a well-earned break from his timing duties to enjoy the 2km course himself, earning the honour of being the final official finisher of the day’s events.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the Trail Running Festival such a resounding success. To our volunteers, sponsors, committee members, marshals, photographers and supporters; your time and dedication made the event possible. Thank you also to every participant who came along and contributed to the wonderful atmosphere. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back for another fantastic Trail Running Festival next year!