Historic double to Run Crew teams at XC Relays

Published Mon 07 Jun 2021

7 June 2021

Historic double to Run Crew teams at XC Relays

Run Crew, one of the newest clubs in NSW, have had their finest day yet, winning the open events at the 30th NSW Cross Country relays conducted at a new venue the North Ryde Common.

MEN Open 4x4km

Two strong legs by Bankstown athletes Arron Spiessberger-Park and Josh Johnson had their team in the lead and on target to defend their title. The Dick Telford coached duo clocked splits of 11:59 and 12:02, that would eventually be the third and fourth fastest of the day. They had a three second lead over Run Crew who had Kieren Tall and Matt Hudson on first and second leg duty. Tall’s split of 11:58 would be the second fastest of the day. But Run Crew had two more big guns to roll out, Gold Coast Marathon-bound athletes, Tom do Canto and Ben St Lawrence, to bring the team home. Do Canto’s 12:11 split was able to build ground over Bankstown’s track specialist Sam Byrne. It was all over when dual Olympian St Lawrence, who has been in terrific form in recent years, anchored the team with the day’s quickest split of 11:51. Run Crew clocked 48:06, ahead of silver medallists Bankstown 49:26.

In four weeks Ben St Lawrence will start in his fourth career marathon on the Gold Coast and with numerous Australian marathon team places on the line in 2022 hopes are high he will be back in the green and gold soon.

There was a great battle for the bronze medal with UTS Norths steadily increasing their gap over Randwick Botany to take the medal 49:45 to 50:11. Charlie Doherty and Liam Gorman were impressive for UTS Norths with all four team members under 12:40. For Randwick Botany, finalist in the Sport NSW Young Coach of the Year Awards, Drew Fryer anchored the team with a terrific 12:24 split.

Possibly the run of the day was Randwick Botany’s 16-year-old Bailey Habler with his impressive 12:17 split.

WOMEN Open 4x4km

The women’s race was a very open contest with the lead see-sawing throughout. 18-year-old Laura Roderick got Randwick-Botany off to a terrific start with the third fastest split of the day 14:31. The Warren/Jordan Williams coached athlete is running well above her track bests of 2:10/4:30. By change two Izzy Thornton-Bott had hauled the UTS Norths team into the lead, just seconds ahead of Run Crew, Randwick-Botany and Sydney University. Emily Ryan had run a cracking 13:49 for Sydney University – easily the fastest of the day. On the third leg, Run Crew started to flex their muscles through a strong leg from Rosie Weber and were now 31 seconds in the lead. With South African World Cross Country representative, Aynslee van Graan anchoring Run Crew, they were home safely for a comfortable victory. Run Crew clocked 59:59.

There was still a close battle for the silver and bronze medals, with strong anchors by Harriet Smith (Sydney University) and Eva Laverty (RBH) getting their teams onto the podium. Silver medallists Sydney University clocked 61:26 from Randwick Botany’s 61:59.

TRT Running was a surprise fourth with the quickest leg recorded by Amelia Gorman clocking 14:58.

MEN Fastest legs:

Ben St Lawrence RRC 11:51

Kieren Tall RRC 11:58

Arron Spiessberger-Parker BAN 11:59

Josh Johnson BAN 12:02

Matt Hudson RRC 12:06

Tom do Canto RRC 12:11

Charlie Doherty UTN 12:14

Bailey Habler RBH 12:17

Liam Gorman UTN 12:19

Drew Fryer RBH 12:28