The 2025 McMillans Community Fun Run is only 2 weeks away, and Race Directors Trent Kooyman and Clinton Jolly have been working hard to make sure it’s a great event.
But they still need your support in getting your friends and family signed up. It’d be excellent if members formed teams from their workplaces or schools and encouraged your contacts to enter. It’s really important that everyone gets behind the event and helps to promote.
Trent and Clinton are looking for members to help organise last minute spot prizes, and to promote in schools, sports clubs, gyms and workplaces. Please see your champion RDs to offer your assistance.
We have a Committee Meeting this Thursday after the run, and as always, there will be much on the agenda, including the CFR, Marathon, Winter Season calendar, governance, upcoming business, and much more. We’ve set the AGM for 17 July, which will come around quickly, so if you’re considering joining the committee, have a chat to a current committee member about what’s involved.
We’re looking for volunteers for our Track Night at Newborough on April 3rd. If you’re not running for any reason, or perhaps if you’re injured, we’d appreciate your assistance with lap counting and officiating. This will ensure a smooth evening on the track for all groups.
Our International Women’s Day run last week was another wonderful example of the strength of our club. Most members wore purple to acknowledge this important day, and our female committee members, Kate Mayer, Marieka Reilly, Molly Irvine and Desley Gray did a fantastic job setting up and talking about the importance of IWD for our club, the community and society. Gender equality benefits everyone.
Traralgon Harriers is first and foremost a running club, but flying the flag, and doing our bit, makes for a better world. My belief that we have an inclusive, socially aware and proactive membership, was again reinforced, and on behalf of the committee, I thank everyone for getting behind the run.
Just a reminder to members about etiquette for Thursday runs. All members are important, and all are equal, and it’s essential we show courtesy to each other. Most runners run for time, whereas walkers don’t have as much emphasis on this aspect of participation, so we ask that walkers try and give way to runners, especially on narrow paths. If everyone stays to the left, to allow passing on the right, it would be appreciated by all. It’s been great to see this courtesy enacted.
Our Winter Season run calendar is included in this week's newsletter (don't forget to sign up on the Harriers homepage if you haven't already), and we’re looking for members to step up as course markers. Remember, if you’re a course marker that serves as your duty, so you’ll also get to run each week. Those on duty still score points towards season championships.
In sad news, on behalf of the club, I’d like to offer our condolences to long-time club member and friend Ann Wilson, whose daughter Paula passed away recently. Ann is the widow of Geoff “Swaggy” Wilson, for whom the Memorial Run was originally established, to honour those club members who have taken their life by suicide. The run raises valuable funds for Gippsland Lifeline, which supports suicide prevention and mental health in our community. Our collective hearts go out to Ann and her family.
*IMPORTANT Harriers Dates
13 March Committee Meeting TONIGHT
23 March 27th Harriers Community Fun Run (RD Trent Kooyman & Clinton Jolly)
26 April Springwood Trophy at Crinigan Rd (RD Miles Verschuur)
1 June 58th Harriers Traralgon Marathon (New start location) (RD Desley Gray)
June Date TBC Midyear Presentation
17 July Club AGM
Thought for the fortnight: "No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." (Aesop)
Phill Mayer – President
*Duty Roster Summer Season 2024/25
REMEMBER: If you can’t fulfil your allocated duty, the onus is on you to swap with someone.
OCTOBER
10 Tania Whitehead & Danelle Wright
17 Stephen Renehan & Shay Lorenz
24 Adrian Sutcliffe & Matthew Deppeler
31 Andrew Panayiotou & Claire Mcumber
NOVEMBER
7 Callie Cook & Sav Mavrofridis
14 Angelo Gaudiano & Shane Gavin
21 Kathy Quinn & Michelle Colwell
28 Bjorn Luxmann & David Hood
DECEMBER
5 Adam Riddle & Samantha Riddle
12 X’Mas Break-up & Winter Presentation
19 X’Mas Lights Run
JANUARY
16 Megan Scott & Paul Smith
23 Stephen McLeod & Kylee Earl
30 Peter Fairbairn & Catherine Leonard
FEBRUARY
6 Darrel Cross & Alfred Warner
13 Angeline Snell & Geoff Francis
20 Elizabeth Kenney & Mandy Ellis
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)
