Kouros Wins Australian 100 km
11 April 1998The AUSTRALIAN 100 km ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP and GU Ultimate Fuel 50 km Race, were held at Glengarry, Vic on 5th April 1998
Results of the 100km Championships
| 1. | Yiannis KOUROS | Vic | 7:14:35 |
| 2. | Nigel AYLOTT | Vic | 8:10:07 |
| 3. | Kelvin MARSHALL | Vic | 8:33:19 |
Results of the GU Ultimate Fuel 50 kilometre Road Race
Men
| 1. | Darrel Cross | Vic | 3:26:13 |
| 2. | Greg Wilson | Vic | 3:48:23 |
| 3. | Peter Grixti | Vic | 4:23:55 |
| 4. | David Styles | Vic | 4:24:05 |
| 5. | Peter Ylvisaker | USA | 4:36:51 |
Women
| 1. | Shirley Young | Vic | 4:46:54 |
Australian Road Records Pending
The following road records were created, subject to approval. The previous records are shown in brackets.| Women 30 miles | Lavinia Petrie | 3:56:21 | (open for claim) |
| Women 40 miles | Lavinia Petrie | 5:17:25 | (open for claim) |
| Women 6 hours | Lavinia Petrie | 72.229 km | (62.6 km) |
| Men 6 hours | Yiannis Kouros | 84.856 km | (70.0 km) |
Race Description
The course was 10 laps of a 10 km course around country roads. We had a small field, but there was no lack of commitment.
Taking advantage of the ideal early morning conditions, runners set off at a cracking pace. Kouros completed the first 10 km lap in 38:48, with Ian Cornthwaite (39:44) Kelvin Marshall (40:24), Nigel Aylott (42:33), Michael Grayling and Nenet Susa all looking as if they wanted a fast first half. In the 50km race, Darrel Cross (41:01) already had a good lead on Greg Wilson (44:20).
During the second lap, the half marathon runners, who had given the 50 and 100 km runners a 1.1 km start, began to move forward. This probably encouraged the ultra runners to keep their pace up. It was also on this lap that runners first felt the early morning breeze - a breeze which increased in intensity to near-gale force during the morning.
Despite the rising wind, runners continued to maintain a good pace for some time. Kouros reached 40 km in 2:38:14 with Cornthwaite less than a minute behind. At this stage Cornthwaite started to suffer from blistered feet and stopped to change shoes. Darrel Cross was third on the road, dominating the 50 km race and about 5 minutes behind Kouros. Next to come through were Marshall (2hr 46) and Aylott (2hr 53), both running very strongly.
During the next lap, to the 50 km mark, the early pace abated. Kouros slowed to a 44 minute lap, well enough in front to afford some respite into the direct head winds. Cornthwaite, still second, made a longer stop, but went out again still in second place. Marshall and Aylott retained their order. Nenet Susa, running in his first ultra marathon suffered badly in the conditions, and withdrew at 50.
Lavinia Petrie, not far behind Susa, took over his fifth position. She had just picked up an Australian women’s record at 30 miles and looked good for the 40 mile mark. Bob Petrie and Michael Grayling completed the field. They passed 50 km shortly after Kouros reached 60km.
Darrel Cross went on to complete the 50 km race, his first ultra marathon, in 3hours 26. Greg Wilson finished second, 22 minutes behind. The race for third was between David Styles, Peter Grixti and American Peter Ylvisaker. The three continually swapped places in a tactical battle. Ylvisaker had originally entered the 100 km Championship but, suffering from a cold, had switched to the shorter event. In the windy conditions, he had no regrets about that decision. Shirley Young had dropped behind these three, but looked capable of picking up any of the stragglers. Grixti (4hrs 26) finally won third spot 10 seconds ahead of Styles. Ylvisaker and Young were next.
At the fifth hour, Kouros had completed 7 laps and a total of around 72km. Kelvin Marshall had switched into preservation mode, had covered 66 km, and had been caught by Nigel Aylott. Cornthwaite had called it a day, but was now completing a cool-down lap, and was around the same mark. Lavinia Petrie was around 61 km. Her husband Bob was half a lap behind. Michael Grayling was approaching his 60th km where he was to retire. Like many other runners, he complained of leg problems which the head and side winds must have contributed to.
The severe winds had a cooling effect, although it was a bright sunny day. Some runners were beginning to show signs of sunburn but all seemed to be keeping well-hydrated.
With the passing of another hour, Kouros added yet another Australian record to his impressive list, achieving 84.8 km for 6 hours on the road. Lavinia Petrie, contemplating retirement from the race - she never intended to complete it when she started - had responded to urgings and went on to add the 6 hour women’s record to her already impressive list. She covered 72.2 km. In between them, Nigel Aylott was around 77 km and drawing steadily away from Kelvin Marshall.
Bob Petrie was still going. A lap behind his wife, he ultimately retired at 70 km, but he looked as if he might have been able to go much further. It was his best ultra performance for quite a time and, hopefully, the first of many good performances to follow.
Kouros was cruising now, well clear of everyone else, and he finished in 7:14:35. Nigel Aylott managed to avoid being lapped and took second in 8hrs 10. Kelvin Marshall was the only other finisher (8hrs 33). He was delighted to have improved his PB by half an hour, a worthy reward for his courageous start-hard-and-hang-on strategy in very demanding conditions.
Lap Times
|
Runner |
10k |
20k |
30k |
40k |
50k |
60k |
70k |
80k |
90k |
100k |
|
Y Kouros |
38:48 |
1:18:02 |
1:57:51 |
2:38:14 |
3:20:30 |
4:04:49 |
4:50:44 |
5:37:05 |
6:26:16 |
7:14:35 |
|
N Aylott |
42:33 |
1:25:53 |
2:09:11 |
2:53:21 |
3:41:32 |
4:30:29 |
5:21:29 |
6:18:15 |
7:14:14 |
8:10:07 |
|
K Marshall |
40:24 |
1:22:22 |
2:02:54 |
2:46:08 |
3:32:44 |
4:24:30 |
5:26:48 |
6:30:54 |
7:35:15 |
8:33:19 |
|
L Petrie |
49:14 |
1:38:23 |
2:28:47 |
3:16:03 |
4:04:39 |
4:55:46 |
5:48:48 |
6:46:47 |
||
|
I Cornthwaite |
39:44 |
1:18:38 |
1:58:23 |
2:39:06 |
3:23:58 |
4:18:51 |
5:22:50 |
|||
|
R Petrie |
49:08 |
1:38:47 |
2:28:45 |
3:18:39 |
4:13:10 |
5:49:36 |
6:53:10 |
|||
|
M Grayling |
44:19 |
1:30:15 |
2:18:48 |
3:14:49 |
4:15:14 |
5:16:50 |
||||
|
N Susa |
45:13 |
1:30:56 |
2:16:32 |
3:03:04 |
4:02:56 |
|||||
|
D Cross |
41:01 |
1:22:22 |
2:02:54 |
2:43:38 |
3:26:13 |
|||||
|
G Wilson |
44:20 |
1:29:18 |
2:12:53 |
2:58:28 |
3:48:23 |
|||||
|
P Grixti |
49:08 |
1:38:46 |
2:29:58 |
3:22:31 |
4:23:55 |
|||||
|
D Styles |
49:07 |
1:38:46 |
2:28:46 |
3:22:46 |
4:24:05 |
|||||
|
P Ylvisaker |
49:16 |
1:37:41 |
2:28:45 |
3:25:19 |
4:36:47 |
|||||
|
S Young |
53:42 |
1:49:23 |
2:46:59 |
3:45:49 |
4:46:54 |
|||||
|
P Nelson |
58:55 |
2:04:29 |
