As preparations for the 2025 Community Fun Run amplify, we’re exceptionally happy to announce some new sponsors for the event. Our shiny new naming-rights sponsor is McMillans, so the event will be known as The McMillans Latrobe City Fun Run & Walk.
We also have Danceworks 114 stepping up to support the kid’s run, which will be known as Danceworks 114 Kid’s Run. Gippsland Water is also supporting the event this year. These amazing sponsors join our valued long-time supporters in First National Real Estate Latrobe, Coffee 51, WinTV, MDR Digital Images (photography), Gold 1242, Goodlife Physio, Athlete’s Foot and Valley Trophy Centre.
We welcome and value all our sponsors and supporters. An event like the CFR cannot run without the support of the community, business and council, and of course people signing up and participating.
This year the focus will be centred on the “Fun Run”, “community” and “fundraising”, and less on the competition aspect. Of course there will still be medals and prizes for the place-getters, and a stack of spot prizes.
We’ll be sharing the Kernot Hall with the Wellness Expo again this year, so there will be a real buzz and excitement around the day.
Race Directors Trent Kooyman and Clinton Jolly are doing a mountain of work behind the scenes, because that’s what is required to put these events together. Lots of time, dedication to the club and the cause are required. We’ll want all members to support the CFR, and bring along friends and family. It’d be excellent if members formed teams from their workplaces or schools. It’s really important that everyone gets behind our events and helps to promote them as well. The earlier everyone gets on and enters, the easier it is for the organising team to plan.
As a volunteer committee, I believe we always try to do our best in all things, to make the club the best it can be. Sometimes things don’t go 100% according to plan for one reason or another, and one of those areas in recent years has been the catering at our big events. We acknowledge the catering has let us down a few times. Despite the best assurance and checking from organisers, venues have promised and not delivered, which is disappointing and sours otherwise fantastic club events. The X’mas bash was another disappointment as far as catering was concerned, and we won’t be going back to Traralgon RSL. Committee members have received many constructive suggestions, and a few not so much. Remember, committee are volunteers, we do our best. We’re always open to constructive feedback and positive ideas to make things better and improve. Of course, the idea is always to run the best possible events for members. Rest assured, we’ve discussed this at length, and have a few ideas to ensure we get it right in the future.
As Greg Semmler and Callie Cook are stepping down from their roles as our club AV Captains, we’ll be looking for some new energy and enthusiasm to step up and join Miles Verschuur in a role leading our AV team. If you’re interested in a rewarding leadership role for the upcoming season, please have a chat to me. You will be supported by the club, guided, encouraged and appreciated. The club extends heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Greg and Callie for their time, humour and stewardship of the club’s AV team.
If any members are considering stepping onto committee at our AGM in June, and would like to sit in on a meeting to see how things “run”, you’d be made more than welcome, and you’ll even get fed some pizza. Being on the Harriers committee is fun, you make positive changes for the club, and get to share your ideas on how to make the club operate and improve. Feel free to have a chat with me or one of the Executive members if you’re interested.
I’ve said it many times, club events only happen if we have members who put their hands up to organise them, and of course, members vote with their feet by showing up to actually participate in them.
The Harriers charter says we have to run a certain amount of weekend events, but over time these events may get stale and need refreshing, so we’re looking at how we can enliven our smaller club events to attract more members and guests. The committee is always open to suggestions and ideas, so if you have any, share with a committee member. Likewise, if you’re interested in becoming a Race Director for one of this year’s events, we’d love to hear from you.
The safety aspect of our winter runs is something else we’ve been looking at. Safety is a major issue for the club, and protecting club members is a prime consideration for all our events, and especially for Thursday runs. Many of our club winter runs were established in the past, when Traralgon wasn’t so busy, with less traffic and road crossings, and some of them now are becoming untenable as the population of Traralgon grows.
So we need your suggestions for new runs, which are safer, consider winter aspects of lighting, roads, traffic, volume of runners on course, trip hazards etc. If you have a suggestion for a run in town that you think may fit the bill, have a chat with a committee member so we can consider it, do a safety audit, and hopefully include some new runs to replace some of the more risky winter Thursday courses in 2025.
*IMPORTANT Harriers Dates
13 March Committee Meeting
23 March 27th Harriers Community Fun Run (RD Trent Kooyman & Clinton Jolly)
1 June 58th Harriers Traralgon Marathon (New start location) (RD Desley Gray)
Thought for the fortnight: Listen and silent are spelled with the same letters!
Phill Mayer – President
We have a super deal on a couple of local runs - Our friends organising the Rokeby Twilight Saturday 22nd March, and Run Tarra Bulga Saturday April 12th have generously offered discounts to Harriers members for entry to both events.
Both these discount codes are valid to February 28th.
Run Tarra-Bulga VIP code for Traralgon Harriers - Saves 20% RTBTHVIP
Rokeby TTR VIP code for Traralgon Harriers - Saves 20% RTTRTHVIP
*Duty Roster Summer Season 2024/25
REMEMBER: If you can’t fulfil your allocated duty, the onus is on you to swap with someone.
FEBRUARY
27 Maree Graham & Stacey Podmore
MARCH
6 Luke Witham & Timothy Graham
13 Collette Hofmann & Anja Norwood
20 Gay Cornthwaite & Owen Notting
27 Glenn Graham & Michelle Sawyer
APRIL
3 Newborough Track (volunteers please)
