NSW race walking resumes competition

Published Sun 26 Jul 2020

26 July 2020

NSW race walking resumes competition

Following in the footsteps of the runners last weekend, NSW’s race walkers resumed competition in Sydney yesterday as the NSW Long Walks Championships held at Gough Whitlam Park in Earlwood.

The athletes were pleased to be back competing and had missed competition in these unusual times. The competition required a late switch in venue to Earlwood after the NSW Health announced a few COVID hotspots near the original venue at Chipping Norton.

On the expect day one of competition for the postponed Tokyo Olympics, the Australian broadcaster for the Games, Channel 7 were keen to cover some athletics and hosted their weather segments from the championships. It gave an opportunity for the public to learn more about race walking, as international judges Heather Mitchell and Kirsten Crocker outlined the rules, coach Frank Overton critiqued some technique, athletes Dylan Richardson, Tyler Jones, Carl Gibbons and Jack McGinniskin, appeared, along with Athens Olympian Natalie Saville.

The first events commenced at 9.30am with the open men’s 30km walk and under-20 men’s 20km walk. Carl Gibbons (Westlakes) became the first NSW open champion crowned this winter clocking a personal best 2:22.23.

“I felt really good in the first 22km, then I died a bit and found the last 8km really tough,” Gibbons said. Unfortunately, starters Tyler Jones (Mingara) and Dylan Richardson (Mingara) did not finish; Richardson particularly troubled by leg soreness from the sharper turns at the new venue.

Carl Gibbons has overcome the challenges of training during the lockdown.

“Training has been hard during coronavirus. There was a period where we couldn’t train as a group. It has been a good chance to try different things in training and it looks like they are working.”

What next for Gibbons?

“I did my first ‘50’ last year in Melbourne and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I would like to have another crack and better my time.”

A regularly on the national podium in recent years, junior Jack McGinniskin (Mingara) is in good form indicated by his two minute personal best winning time of 96:35 in the under-20 20km walk, but he was hoping for more.
“I was aiming for a PB and hoping I could get down lower, but the second lap let me down a bit,” he said.

“For the first 10km I felt really strong and then I sensed I may have gone too hard out - the last 10km didn’t go well, but I was holding on.”

When he was struggling, McGinniskin did get some help from a training partner who was also on the course in his event.

“For those laps I was struggling a bit, it was good to have Dylan (Richardson) there - it helped.”

But overall, McGinniskin is pleased to be back competing.

“I was just happy to be back racing today.”

A rising star of Australian junior race walking, Allanah Pitcher (Mingara) was untroubled winning the under-18 8km event by 48 seconds in 40:59. Although she is only 17, she was at ease with the distance and really enjoyed the opportunity to return to racing.

“I have raced a number of 10s so it felt quite comfortable. It was good to have a hit out as it has been so strange not racing. It was really fun to be back out there, I have missed it so much. Part of walking events is seeing everybody from the other clubs; it is a tightknit community.”

How did she manage during lockdown?

“I was focusing on building up my body, I started doing some yoga and doing more at home, focusing on school work while I could and doing some hobbies like art, so I just kept myself entertained. We also varied training and tried new things to keep it interesting.”

A year 11 student, Pitcher has definite goals away from athletics and was able to remain disciplined when not in the classroom.

“I do love school and aim to go into a medical or engineering field, but university is definitely the goal.

“It was interesting seeing how we could adapt learning at home. I found it wasn’t too bad and got a lot of work done. I’ve now got back into a routine at school and it is getting back to normal.”

Pitcher has found her sport very important over the last few years.

“Training was a really nice break during isolation because obviously you were home all the time and we are lucky to have some locations to train.

“I can just switch off and walk with nature and that is why I like walking you can go out to really beautiful parks as it is not limited to just the track. It is so refreshing and so good for your mental health.”

Also very impressive at the NSW Long Walks was multiple national champion, Milly Boughton (Randwick Botany) who defeated a large field of 11 in the under-16 girls 5km event, clocking 25:17.

NSW Race Walk champions crowned were:
Open men 30km Carl Gibbons 2:22.23
U20 men 20km Jack McGinniskin 96:35
Masters men 15km Brendon Hyde 1:50.30
U20 women 15km Bridget Bell 92:42
U18 boys 8km Raven Pyda 41:41
U18 girls 8km Allanah Pitcher 40:59
U16 girls 5km Milly Boughton 25:17
U16 boys 5km Ryan Bonham 25:53
U12 girls 2km Matilda Webb 11:08