Cross Country Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, ‘I’ve never seen anyone run like that before.’ It’s more than just a race, it’s a style. It’s doing something better than anyone else. It’s being creative. - Steve Prefontaine, American middle / long distance runner and 1972 Olympian, who once held every national record between 2,000 and 10,000 meters and between 2 miles and 6 miles. This year saw the St Joseph’s College Cross Country team prepare for its inaugural participation in the Division 1 ACC Cross Country Championships. Last year’s fantastic result to win the 2nd division title had given the boys the chance to join the top 6 schools in the ACC and they were determined to prove themselves. Training for the event started in February and the addition of Mr Kemp to the coaching team saw them working harder than ever before. New levels of performance were reached with brutal speed endurance training sessions and hill runs up Aphrasia St but the pain was all worth it as this year’s results are the best the school has ever accomplished and have started a belief that we are capable of even better.
The City to Surf was the first big race of the year and the boys had another fantastic trip to
Sydney in August. The conditions were amazing with light winds and sunny weather adding to the already amazing atmosphere that the iconic race produces. Everyone involved ran the 14km’s in an impressive manner with times improving dramatically from last year (see results below), the majority were able to stay below a 5min kilometre pace which is a great achievement considering the huge crowds and the infamous heart break hill. Jack, Michael, Harry and Alex Catching up with Harry “H” Nightingale from the Bondi Rescue Team at City to Surf
all finished the race under the 60min barrier, an amazing effort. When the race was done we headed to Bondi to enjoy a roof top lunch and a relaxing swim at the beach where we caught up with Harry “H” Nightingale from the Bondi Rescue team. I think of all the things the boys enjoyed, the knowledge that it was overcast and raining in Geelong while they were swimming in board shorts in Sydney was the top of the list! It was an extremely enjoyable trip and many thanks must go to the students for their outstanding efforts in training and their results and behaviour on the trip. Well done.
“New levels of performance were reached with brutal speed endurance training sessions and hill runs up Aphrasia St but the pain was all worth it as this year’s results are the best the school has ever accomplished and have started a belief that we are capable of even better.” - Luke O’Grady
I opened this article with a quote from the famous runner Pre Fontaine; he talks about a race being like a work of art and that a runner’s aim is to show something that they have never seen before. Pre’s sentiment sums up St Joseph’s ACC championships perfectly. The boys
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