Coburg harriers announce new 6-hour event
From CoolRunning Australia
COBURG HARRIERS ANNOUNCE NEW SIX HOUR ULTRA EVENT
The Coburg Harriers Club are pleased to announce in a major boost to the ultra marathon community, that in 2008 the Coburg 24 Hour Carnival will break with longstanding tradition by staging the Six Hour Run and Walk as a separate race three weeks prior to the main event.
Athletes will have the opportunity to compete in the Six Hour Event on Sunday, 30 March 2008, with the longer races – the 12 and 24 Hour Run and Walk – from 10:00 am on Saturday 19 April 2008. The Coburg 24 Hour Carnival has been running now for over twenty years and incorporates the Victorian 24 Hour Track Championship and the Australian Centurions 24 Hour Walk.
The decision to split the carnival stemmed from the cancellation of several early season ultra events in recent years, a situation further exacerbated by the announcement that a popular twelve hour ultra marathon on the New South Wales central coast would not go ahead in 2008. In addition, the growing popularity of the Coburg 24 Hour Carnival resulted in entries closing four weeks out from the closing of entries for the 2007 event.
The Six Hour Run and Walk will run from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm at the Harold Stevens Athletics Track in Coburg with full presentations to occur at the completion of the event. Ultra competitors are urged to get their entries in early as the field will be capped at 45. Entries close on Friday, 21 March 2008 or earlier if the limit is reached before this date.
Discounts will be given to competitors who want to enter the Six Hour Event as a warm up for the twelve or 24 Hour on 19 April 2008. Regardless, the Coburg 24 Hour Carnival remains one of the most inexpensive ultra events in Australia, with prices unchanged from 2007. Entries for the longer events close on Friday, 11 April 2008 or earlier if the limit is reached before this date and the field size will also be capped at 45.
Entry forms and further race information can be found on the Coburg Harriers website at http://www.coburgharriers.org.au, otherwise please feel free to contact the Race Director Tim Erickson via terick@melbpc.org.au for more details.
The Coburg Harriers Club was established in 1896 and is one of the oldest athletics clubs in Australia. The club has been home to Olympians, Paralympians and Commonwealth Games representatives. And in September, the club showed it has ultra running pedigree of its own with club member Deanne Nobbs representing Australia at the 100 km World Cup in Holland. Visit the Coburg Harriers website for more information.
