Alexa and Greta Duke made it a family double when mother and daughter took out the senior and junior sections of the Stawell Amateur Athletic Club Barham’s Insurance Handicap last Saturday.
In fine but cold conditions, nineteen senior runners set off on the 8km two lap course through the ironbarks, with Alexa Duke making her intentions clear from the start.
Setting out hard after front marker Gary Saunders, Duke had reeled him in with 2km to go, but the back markers were also closing in fast.
The long final leg down Centre Road afforded the back markers a good view of the runners in front, an added incentive to spur them on. Feeling like a rabbit before the hounds, Duke set off for home still with a good lead, but a fast finishing Charlie Jones was closing the gap fast.
Duke managed to hold on for her second win this season, with Charlie Jones second and Stephen Baird not far behind in third.
Col Barnett posted the fastest time of 29min 5sec, and Jacinta Collier was the fastest female in 32min 34sec.
Ten juniors lined up for the 2km race. Like her mother, Greta Duke went out hard, and by half way was close to taking the lead. A determined Thomas Blair pushed Duke all the way, but Duke went on to score a great win with Blair not far behind claiming second place. Naomi Jamieson was in the minor placings yet again when she came in third.
The fastest junior time of 8mins was shared by Naomi Jamieson and Lucy Alexander.
Daniel Op de Coul blitzed the field in the sub-junior 2km race, winning by 90sec. Running off a favourable handicap, Daniel established a lead early on in the race, and never looked like being headed. Jack Butler was second and Heidi Sudholz came in third.
Jack Butler posted the fastest sub-junior time of 8min 34sec. Fastest girl was Stacey Faravoni in a time of 8min 40sec.