The highest finishing South Burnett team were the South Burnett Girl Nuts … Ginny Salmon, Jennie Bridge, Esther Farmilo, Kate Gadischke, Ali Mollenhauer, all from Kingaroy; and Melissa Ballin, Nanango
May 1, 2023
The third South Burnett Express Rail Trail Relay, run from Kingaroy to Wondai and back on Sunday, was the biggest yet!
About 160 runners tackled the race, which this year was also an official Queensland Athletics event, the 2023 State Road Relay Championships.
As well as the record number of runners, there was a record number of South Burnett teams.
The South Burnett Girl Nuts flew the flag for the region, taking out third place in the Women’s category.
The event was organised by the Ashgrove Rangers Athletics Club from Brisbane, with some local liaison from South Burnett-based runners.
The first group of runners left the head of the rail trail in Kingaroy, near the Liberty Garage, about 7:30am on Sunday.
Teams of between five and eight members then ran in a relay between Kingaroy to Wondai and back.
The course was approximately 60km, with the shortest leg 400m and the longest almost 8km.
Volunteers manned checkpoints along the route.
The competitors gathered in Kingaroy’s O’Neill Square after the event to enjoy lunch, prepared by volunteers from the South Burnett Mountain Bike Club.
The club is raising funds to open even more mountain bike trails in the South Burnett region.
After the presentations of the trophies, Wondai parkrun co-ordinator Ros Heit invited the visiting runners to come back to the South Burnett for the Wondai Country Running Festival on June 24-25.
Graham and Heather Barralet, from Brisbane, were volunteering on the second checkpoint at Memerambi … Graham is a life member of the Ashgrove Rangers and has been a member of the running club since 1965Elijah Jackson and Lachlan Miners, from Gatton, and Micah Huth, BrisbaneGreg Lester, Nicola Miners and Mike Wilson, all from GattonJason Wyeth, from the South Burnett Mountain Bike Club … club members were working hard serving up lunch in O’Neill Square for the relay participants after the raceGinny Salmon, Kingaroy, and Matthew McCauley, Murgon … the pair were racing in different teams but both agreed it was great to see so many local runners competingFour members of the eight members of the Cabinet Farmers team … Jay Warry, Cushnie; Mick Freeman, Kingaroy; Daniel Huskisson, Kingaroy; and Ben Warry, CushnieProston Power members … Alex and Tatjana Niven, Wondai; Amanda Bleys and Fiona Gill, Proston; Gaye Hobbs, Wondai; Francine Jaunais, Proston; and Jarvis Cox, KingaroyThe Crazy Running Buddies … Helen Kratzmann, Wooroonden; Amelia and Felicity Jorgensen, Wondai; Ros Heit, Wooroolin; Claire Kapernick, Cloyna; and Jodi Chamberlayne and Susan Smith, from WondaiClaire Kapernick, Jason Wyeth and Ros Heit were handed some “thank you” gifts from the Ashgrove Rangers for helping to co-ordinate the event from the South Burnett endThe first bunch of runners gets ready to leave at the head of the Rail Trail in Kingaroy early on Sunday morning (Photo: South Burnett Rail Trail Express)
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Race Winners
Toowong Harriers Men’s A Team … Men’s 1st PlaceThompson Estate Eastern Athletics Club … Men’s 2nd PlaceBrisbane Road Runners Ernie’s Team … Men’s 3rd PlaceToowong Harriers OG … Women’s 1st PlaceAshgrove Rangers & Ernie’s Women’s Team … Women’s 2nd PlaceSouth Burnett Girl Nuts … Women’s 3rd PlaceTrack Attack Sunshine Coast … Mixed Team 1st Place (by almost 30 minutes!)Ashgrove Rangers Mixed A Team … Mixed Team 2nd PlaceLockyer B Team … Mixed Team 3rd PlaceHugo Watt, 9, Brisbane (2nd Boy’s); Ellie Alderton, 9, Brisbane (2nd Girl’s); Camille Alderton, 8, Brisbane (1st Girls); missing: Luis Nilsson (1st Boy’s)
