Locals Joel Gray and Kate Pritchett claim respective half marathon wins at 2024 Elleker Running Festival

A triumphant Great Southern pair highlighted the Albany Retravision Elleker Running Festival with Joel Gray and Kate Pritchett each securing respective victories in the half marathon on Sunday morning. Gray, hailing from Mt Barker, was the first to cross the line in the 21.1km event with a rapid 1hr. 18min. 36secs, almost two minutes quicker than his third-place time last year, while Albany’s Pritchett (1:26.32) notched her second female victory — her first coming in 2022. Chris Sadler (1:19.14), Raji Hakim (1:22.37), David Dillon (1:23.39) and Ben Freer (1:23.57) rounded out the top five to cross the line. Gray said while he was happy to win the event at his third attempt, he admitted it did not feel complete without 2023 winner Matt Maguire as opposition. “I didn’t really think I was going have the speed, I’ve done a lot of training in the trails lately and I haven’t done any speedwork,” he said. “I was actually surprised to run quicker than I did last year, but I guess the general fitness that I’m carrying through with all the running has helped. “Yeah, it is great to win but Matt Maguire couldn’t make which is a shame and he was probably going to win it. “Not having him there it wasn’t really the same but I’ll take the win but I know if he was down, it would have been his.” While many runners were still yet to cross the finish line, immediately after finishing the aerobic beast embarked on yet another run as he prepares for the Transcend 65km ultra-event in the Avon Valley on June 22. “I was meant to be doing a four-and-a-half run so the race was meant to be that part of the run so I wasn’t going all out for the run,” Gray said. “I was planning to head straight out to keep running but with the presentations, I only managed half an hour and then seized up and it was hard to get going again. “I’m starting to taper now though, so Sunday was my last big run and I’ll start really bringing it back.” Living on a farm near Rocky Gully, Gray has been diligently training at all hours of the day to ready himself for the targeted event. “Every race I have done (this year) has been building up to Transcend, so the last four and five months it’s been the focus,” he said. “Trying to fit it (training) in around work has been pretty hard. “(I’m) trying to get the running done at two-three o’clock in the morning with a head torch in the dark. “I did the ultra-event last year but I wasn’t really trying for it as I should have been, but I’m hoping to go a bit deeper and do a lot better this year.” “There are a lot of really good guys running it, I would love to go top 10 or even top five, if I’m within half an hour of the winner I’ll be happy.” Pritchett was stoked to clinch her second win after a trying 2023 campaign battling injuries. “It was (satisfying) to win again,” Pritchett said. “I did the 10km event last year . . . I had a few injuries, so it was nice to make it through and get the whole half marathon in this time. “I sort of got comfortable and tried to stay there, it always gets a bit tough in the last laps so was just trying to hold (onto a rhythm).” Kalen Bennet finished first in the 10km run stopping the clock at a 35min. 27sec, ahead of Callum Dowell (36.10) in second and while 2023 champion William Liitiaeinen (37.03) was third. Evie Waddington (48.48) was the fastest woman in the 10km race and Cathie Contier (1:20.22) took out the 10km walk.