A SUNNY spring day greeted close to 1,000 competitors taking part in the fourth annual Brooks Forster Running Festival on Sunday.
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The Central Coast’s Anthony Farrugia took out the 21.1km half marathon for the second year in a row with a time of 1 hour, 11 minutes and seven seconds before amazingly backing it up to win the 10km run with a time of 34 minutes and 34 seconds.
The seasoned athlete used the festival as a training ground for the Melbourne marathon which he will compete in early next month.
Second place went to John Doyle from Newcastle with a time of 1 hour, 18 minutes and 57 seconds.
The first female across the line was experienced runner Kirsten Molloy from Newcastle with a time of 1 hour, 23 minutes and 28 seconds ahead of Port Macquarie’s Natalie Angel with a time of 1 hour, 35 minutes and five seconds.
Stephanie Auston of Cooranbong, Lake Macquarie took out the 10km run with a time of 36 minutes and 21 seconds in front of local runner Mary Yule with a time of 41 minutes and six seconds.
The event also included a 5km fun run, a 4km walk and talk and 4km and 2km kids fun runs. Race director Pete Camilleri said this year the event attracted locals as well as those visiting from a far.
“Once again we had perfect weather and a beautiful backdrop,” he said.
“We had a good combination of locals and people from Taree as well as those from Sydney, Queensland and Victoria.
“Our oldest competitor was 78 years and the youngest was three. The 78-year-old man from Nambucca Heads has been running all his life and said he rates our course as the second most beautiful he’s ever ran.”
Camilleri said the event couldn’t have gone ahead as well as it had without the tireless work of volunteers.
“It was a faultless day and it’s received a lot of praise from competitors so I want to thank all of the volunteers – it’s all about the volunteers and the help that this town puts in because without them it wouldn’t happen.”
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