LONG WAIT BRINGS GOLDEN REWARD

SURF LIFE SAVING, April, 19 2013: NINE years after it was first run, the open women’s 2km beach run at the Aussies finally has a second winner.

Distance-running marvel Alison O’Toole had made the event her own, winning eight times in a row since the event was introduced in 2005 but did not travel across from Perth this year.

In her absence it was 36-year-old Angela Leadbeatter of Swansea Belmont, a long-time rival of O’Toole, who stepped up to win today’s gruelling race across the soft sand of North Kirra.

Rochelle Godfrey of Ocean Grove placed second with North Cottesloe’s Joanna Clucas third.

As a dress rehearsal Leadbeatter ran in the masters 2km run earlier in the week and knew about the pain that would be involved today.

She also knew O’Toole’s absence presented a great chance of claiming a long-awaited gold medal.

“The great Alison O’Toole, if she have been here today I’m sure she would have won,” Leadbeatter said.

“I’ve run against her a number of times and finished second twice at Aussies so it is great to win today.

“I’m sure she’ll be back next year in Perth.”

Leadbeatter is a highly credentialed road and cross-country runner and has also won the lung-bursting run up the Empire State Building.

“Running on sand and running stairs are actually very similar,” she said. “Once you start to blow up you have to hold on.

“I only race one way – go hard and try to hold on.”

The open men’s run featured probably the closest finish in the event’s history when New Zealander Chester Edwards of Orewa edged out Paul Wiedersehn of Cudgen Headland. Wanda’s Ali Najem crossed the line third.

A keen marathon and cross-country runner, Edwards has been Orewa’s club coach for the past two years and has brought an impressive team to the Aussies.

“We have some very good young competitors and it’s my job to build them into an even better team,” the 24-year-old said.

“We’re not there now but four or five years down the track we should be getting some really good results.”

An accident to a clubmate opened the door for Chris Doran of Helensburgh-Stanwell Park to win the men’s under-19 beach run.

Doran is normally a boat rower but when a crew mate broke his arm in a footy match recently and the boat crew had to withdraw, he decided to give the run a go.

He couldn’t have been happier with the switch of disciplines and won clearly from Wanda’s Ali Najem and Patrick Hogan of Point Lookout.

Rising triathlon star Emma Jeffcoat won gold for Dee Why in the women’s under-19 race ahead of Jordan Mercer (Noosa Heads), Omanu’s Ashley Cochrane and Coffs Harbour’s Lilli Smyth.

In the under-17 races, Oliver Hoare followed in the footsteps of his father Greg, a former 2km world champion, by winning gold ahead of Nathan Breen (Cronulla) and Nathan Neale (Elouera) in a Sutherland Shire trifecta, while the Jess Suriano of North Bondi beat Ainslie Bakker (Lennox) and Greta Petersen (Northcliffe).

Scarlett Fahey of Northcliffe ran her opposition off their feet in the under-15 race, finishing well ahead of Grace Kaihau (Maroochydore) and Alexandra Barnes (Byron Bay). Dylan Foster of Alexandra Headland won the boys’ race with Jake Smith (Mullaloo) second and Brodie Tweeddale (Half Moon Bay) third.

Issued on behalf of Surf Life Saving Australia by

Ian Hanson

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