NSW XC Relays: Flashback to 2001 with Kerryn McCann & Liz Miller

1 June 2023

NSW XC Relays: Flashback to 2001 with Kerryn McCann & Liz Miller

This Saturday all roads lead to Rydalmere for the 32nd running of the NSW Cross Country Relay Championship, first held in 1991 at Nowra.

The race has a great history and many emerging stars have been as important as the elite in the four-person teams. It is also an important club event, where on occasions you are chasing that fourth member to make up a team.

Courtesy of Kembla Joggers athlete Pas Coppolaro we have a video of the 2001 race, which highlights many emerging stars and some very famous ones too, including Kerryn McCann and Liz Miller. View the videos: Open Women and Open Men

In 2001 it was the fourth occasion the race was held at Miranda. Winning the women’s race was Athletics East, with Kembla Joggers second and South Coast third. The lead off athletes, featured in Coppolaro’s video, were Liz Miller (AEA) and the late great Kerryn McCann (SC) who would go onto win the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games marathons. She tragically died of cancer in 2008. In second was Liz Miller who won Australian senior championships 13 years apart during an enduring career on the track, road and in cross country.

Miller has vivid memories of the race.

“It seems like a lifetime ago I was competing but funnily enough I do remember that race,” said Miller.

“I tried to stay with Kerryn for as long as possible. I was running behind her and noticing how efficient her running style was. No extra body movements or head wobbles, just a lovely smooth style. The times indicate how well Kerry ran that day on a very challenging course.“

Miller and McCann’s careers overlapped by many years and individually they were two on NSW’s finest distance runners in history.

“Over the years of running with Kerryn I was always impressed by her patience and her quiet determination. Now that my youngest daughter is competing in athletics I often refer to Kerryn as a role model. Kerryn was a good junior athlete who blossomed into an amazing and modest international athlete.”

The women’s open race including many familiar names, including: Cindy King, Mary Fien, Joanne Cowan and Jenny Hindmarsh (Kerryn’s sister). The South Coast team, which won bronze, included masters sprinter Giana Mogentale.

In the men’s race, Randwick Botany defeated St George and Kembla Joggers. Nick Cope (RBH) and Blair Martin (SGD) featured in the video on the first legs, but you can also see Jamie Harrison (BAN), Jeff Hunt running for Campbelltown and Chris Truscott (RBH B) now a member of the strong Rejoov club. Some others of note running were Sean Williams (RBH), Dean Degan (SGD), Neil Barnett (KEJ), Russell Dessaix-Chin (KEJ) and the Athletics NSW accountant Kevin Moore (BAN).

Some other interesting names running in the underage events were:

U12 – John Crandell (ASW), Rachel Mullane (SGD), Mia McKinnon (SGD) and Talissa Scott (NOW)

U14 – Emma Millett (SGD), Bridey Delaney (SGD) and Erin Binks (NOW)

U16 – James Matthews (ILL) and Brooke Simpson (SUT)

U18 – Lisa Grant (GIR)

U20 – Tim McGrath (RBH), Jeremy Roff (RBH), Jon Glasson (CC), Debbie & Lisa Corrigan ASW), Heidi See (nee Gregson) (HIL) and Emma Rilen (HIL)

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Images: Kerryn McCann and Liz Miller (courtesy of David Tarbotton)