Race Review: Bunbury 3 Waters Running Festival Half Marathon
Bunbury, Western Australia 10 April 2016 Time 08:00
Headline Event Owners: HBF / BUNBURY RUNNING CLUB.
Race Director: Undisclosed Event Organising Company: Bunbury Running Club
Race Review
PRE RACE. Entry and information: Entry was direct and as simple as it could be. The event details and updates were via their dedicated web site and Face Book pages. All manner of information and assistance was available and e-mails were always answered with due diligence.
Value of the entry fee, at AUS$65 (RM 195), could seem expensive here in Malaysia but given that the minimum wage in Australia is AUS$17 per hour the entrance fee would relate to around RM 26, wage for wage, so you can see why I and others think that the cost of running here in Malaysia is getting out of hand. Race registration and kit collection was at the venue the day before and up to one-hour pre-race, so full marks for that. The actual collection was very swift and well organised, there were light refreshments available and freebies of hats, water bottles and bananas.
Race site Facilities: The start and finish venue was at the Bunbury recreation grounds, the home of Bunbury Running Club, and every facility was available. Light refreshments, tea and coffee were on tap pre-race and again the free fruit plus water Although the toilet block was rather old the cleanliness and general condition was first class. Club members and volunteers were always around if anyone needed to know anything but with the constant updates and reminders from the MC I doubt anyone would have need of them.
Parking: Only street side parking but, unlike home, cars were correctly parked all-around the local streets and people walked to the venue.
Care of Competitors:
There were no organised warm-up sessions, perhaps understandably with six distances/events being run in quick succession, but the MC encouraged everyone to warm up before their start time and there was more than enough space to do so. Medical staff and facilities at the start and on course were absent or not visible.
RACE. Organisation: Course management: Traffic control, space on the course and signage were all excellent. The course difficulty was just about right, although the only steep hill was just about at the end, but then most race directors have a sadistic side. Even the early rain and the constant wind, luckily mainly across rather than head on, couldn’t spoil the enjoyment factor of the run. Marshaling quantity and quality was exemplary, top marks for all the brave souls who braved the elements for the enjoyment of the runners, thank you one and all. The many feed stations were well staffed and stocked with water, iso and gels. Finish line medal collection was instant. Food and hot drinks could be purchased but water and Gatorade were free-flowing.
POST RACE. It seems to me that more and more events, outside of Malaysia, are not providing food as part of the entrance fee but offering food for purchase. Given that the very reasonable entrance cost, in Australian terms, this would seem to be a very fair arrangement and allows for a wider choice of food. Top placings were announced shortly after each event’s top runners had finished but nothing was posted on the day. Prize ceremony was timely given that the back markers for the Ultra event were somewhat behind the other event finishers.
AFTER EVENT
The FULL results were on line the very next day as advised, full results rather than individual and all age grouped. Post event communication has been limited to just a few photographs.
My overall score for this event is 87.0% and it is an event that I would be pleased to run year on year, if I lived nearer. This was the thirty-fifth running of this event and it showed in the slickness of it’s organisation. Overall I think the Race Director and all who have been involved can be very proud of a well-managed, enjoyable and safe event on an interesting course.
Happy Running
When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
Other comments; Darren Jenkins Great race once again put on by the Bunbury Runners Club! Thanks to all involved in the organisation of this event... It has been an inspiration to me for my entire racing career!
My personal race.
My race was a joy in so many ways. Firstly, I was running with my nieceTerri Willis and her partner Kenkx during my first visit to their new home. With the event fell, in my training schedule, at the week-end prior to my taper, for Borneo Marathon, a perfect tester. A finishing time of 1:53:30 would put me on course for my trained for sub4 marathon. So I set about trying to clock a 1:50:00 for good measure. I ran with, Kenkx, a younger, fitter and faster athlete than me, to around the seventeen k marker when he made his effortless move away from me but to his credit to that point he had let me set our pace. At the half way point we were about twenty seconds better than required and I was feeling very good. We still had to face the head-wind section of the course and the finishing climb so I pushed on at a higher pace knowing I would slow against the wind and up the hill. To my surprise and delight, I was even further ahead of the required time and still feeling good, not quite as good as Kenkx who was slowly but surely pulling ahead of me. I gritted my teeth and did what I could to stay as close as I could to him and it really paid off. My last five k was my fastest of the race and saw me home finishing in 1:47:41 equally my second fastest half and just fifteen seconds off of my PB set back in 2014.
The old dog still has some life in him yet.
I finished fourth in my 60 - 69 years age category and sixty-second overall in a field of 224. My time was 74.39% age graded.
One very happy runner.
Congratulations to our Champions: Mens Womens 18 – 29 Paul Lavender 1:31:38 Ashlee Ritson 1:39:07 30 - 39 Roberto Busi 1:15:50 Joanna Turner 1:28:45 40 – 49 Steve Weller 1:24:28 Kerri Wallis 1:37:42 50 – 59 Keith Yardley 1:26:48 Sandra Stockman 1:40:14 60 – 69 Gary Peace 1:29:24 70+ Arthur Twiss 1:54:32
