IT was a case of going one better for 2019 Winter Solstice Fun Run runner-up, Peter Musson, with the Macarthur runner going one better in Sunday’s 25km trail run, winning in a time of 1:58.44.
The Macarthur resident was delighted with his performance, even if it was a little slower than his 2019 time of 1:54.
“I think I was about three or four minutes slower today than when I last did it, but I was quite happy with that,” Musson said.
“I would been happy to be 20 minutes slower, because it is great just being able to be out there running again.”
Musson was full of praise for female winner, Rachel Ayres, who pushed him throughout the race.
“Rachel kept pushing me all the way,” he said.
“I felt like I was dropping off a couple of times, but having Rachel there pushing me along was such a big help, all credit to her.”
A seasoned trail runner, Musson said the course along the Great South West Walk was one of his favourites.
“It is always beautiful scenery, a really nice run. I have done the trail run before, and even when the event was cancelled last year I still came down and ran it on my own,” he said.
“It is such a nice run, and for some reason the weather is always warm for this event.
“The undulations are the hard part.
“It is the first run I have done for a while, and that is the same with a lot of people out there today, coming off COVID the past couple of years with not a lot of events on, it was always going to be hard.”
Musson is a regular supporter of Portland Running Club events, having claimed second place in the Portland 3 Bays Running Festival’s Hybrid Fools event in 2019 – an event which sees competitors take on a 60km trail run on the Saturday (where he placed fourth) and back it up with a 42km road marathon the following day (where he placed 10th).
Musson’s daughter, Isabelle, finishing second in the women’s 9km run, behind Kate Gleeson.
Josh Frichot collected third in the men’s 15km event, while Jessica-Anne Hayes was another local who impressed, finishing runner-up in the women’s 15km run.
