Delany wins half marathon

MANSFIELD runner Liam Delany won the half marathon event at the Wangaratta Chronicle Marathon and Fun Run last Sunday. He was fist home in a field of several hundred competitors, completing the flat course in a time of one hour, 15 minutes and 35 seconds. Originally from Wangaratta, Delany has participated in many Wangaratta Marathon and Fun Run days, making the victory even sweeter. He is a prominent figure in North East Victoria athletics and is taking charge of the new NE Victoria regional athletics team that will take on the state series. "I felt good, I enjoyed being out there," he said. "I went to school in Wangaratta and hadn't ran the course for a while so it was a nice little trip down memory lane. "The course was lovely and it was great to see the volunteers and kids on drink stops." Delany's attention will now turn to the Gold Coast marathon. "My aim for Gold Coast in to break 70 minutes so I was obviously a bit off that mark in this event," he said. Sunday's running festival drew more than 1000 entrants, competing in the marathon, half marathon, 10km, 5km and 2km Primary Challenge events. Frankston runner Dane Verwey won the marathon in a time of 2.33.55, some 17 minutes ahead of runner–up for the second consecutive year Jarrod Mullavey. Melbourne's Rebecca Gore stormed home to take out the women's marathon in a time of 3:38:38, 20 minutes ahead of runner–up Stephanie Hannon. Rachel McGuinness took out the women's half marathon in a time of 1:16:55. The 10km race saw 41–year–old Melbourne based runner Shane Grund win in a time of 32 minutes, 24 seconds. Grund now has his eyes set on the Gold Coast Marathon on July 1–2. Wodonga's Kaitlin McIntosh finished ahead of Wangaratta's Penny Townshend to win the 10km event in a time of 39.28 as she prepares for the Canberra half marathon on April 16. Wangaratta 17–year–old Caleb Gilbert was the fastest in the 5km event (16 minutes 25 seconds), just edging out fellow local budding star Merlin Tzaros, 12, by six seconds. The first women to cross the line in the 5km run was Wangaratta's Edyn Hill who ran a quick 19 minutes, two seconds to finish four seconds ahead of Chloe Grund – the daughter of Shane. Results: Marathon Male: 1st Dan Verwey 2.33.55; 2nd Jarrod Mullavey 2.50.55; 3rd Ralph Mathiessen 2.55.15. Female: 1st Rebecca Gore 3.38.38; 2nd Stephanie Hannon 3.58.33; 3rd Nikki Reynolds 4.17.19. Half Marathon Male: 1st Liam Delany 1.15.35; 2nd Sam Ryan 1.16.00; 3rd Jackson Wright 1.17.46. Female: 1st Rachel McGuinness 1.16.55; Megan Collier 1.34.09; 3rd Sarah Kirley 1:36:54. 10KM Male: 1st Shane Grund 32.38; 2nd Oscar Reid 36.23; Aidan Fattore 36.32. Female: 1st Kaitlin McIntosh 39.28; 2nd Penny Townshend 40.22; 3rd Julia Monaghan 46.27. 5KM Male: 1st Caleb Gilbert 16.25; 2nd Merlin Tzaros 16.31; 3rd Glenn McMillan 16.56. Female: 1st Edyn Hill 19.02; 2nd Chloe Grund 19.06; 3rd Noemi Brockoff 22.28.