After a years break from racing, Stawell Amateur Athletic Club runner Graeme Sudholz showed he hasn’t lost form when he scored a close win in last Saturdays Horsham Telstra Shop Handicap.
Horsham put on its traditional wet race day, but fortunately the rain stopped long enough for the racing to be completed before the rain came down again.
Twenty-six senior runners set off over a flat out and back 6.5km course, with front marker Carolyn Lehmann leading the way. With 800m to go, Lindy Muller passed Lehmann to take the lead, but Graeme Sudholz was close behind.
Further back Gary Howden and Ray Scott were closing fast.
With 500m to go, Sudholz hit the front, but Howden was breathing down his neck.
Sudholz dug deep, and just managed to hold off Howden to win by 2 sec, with Scott another 3 sec behind in third.
Fastest time went to Jade Merritt with 23 minutes 56 sec.
Fastest female was Susie Ellis in 28 minutes 7 sec.
Sarah Ellis lead all the way to take out the junior 3km event from Emily Parnaby and Daniel Faravoni. Faravoni was the fastest junior in 13 minutes 5 sec, with Parnaby the quickest girl in 14 minutes 26 sec.
Liam Burns won the sub-junior 1000m. Tobias Blair was second with Elly Barnett third and fastest junior in 4 minutes 21 sec. Blair was the fastest sub-junior boy with 4 minutes 22 sec.
A special thank you to Sharon and Gary Howden for the use of their big shed for the race headquarters, and the use of their house afterwards.