Strong winds didn't make things easy for even the most seasoned athletes who dominated The Canberra Times Fun Run on Sunday morning.
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Tomas Palfrey, 16, took out the top spot for the run's 10-kilometre leg. The Watson school student is the national 1500-metres champion for his age group.
"The wind really hurt in the last five kilometres," he said.
"I had a good lead pack so I could sit in behind them and try to use the older blokes to keep my energy as a windshield.
"Towards the end, I was struggling, but I managed to bring it home."
Palfrey recorded a time of 32:19.9 for the run.
Melbourne-based professional athlete Madeline Hills was the first woman to cross the finish line in the 10-kilometre race. The 32-year-old recorded a time of 33:35.9 - far from her best, she said, but the run was a "stepping stone" in her recovery from double hamstring surgery about six months ago.
Hills was hoping to make her second Olympics next year in Tokyo. She was in Canberra for training.
"It was probably good I didn't know how exposed and hilly [the track] would be, so I just ran a bit blind which was good given it is a little windy," she said.
"It's great to be able to complete a five-kilometre or a 10-kilometre [run].
"There's plenty of people who are lying in bed right now who didn't try, so I think even if people are disappointed, they've done a really good job."
Downer local Jimmy Barker took out first place in the five-kilometre leg of the run with a time of 14:15.9, seeing him reach his goal of under 15 minutes.
This year marked the seventh time Barker has done the Times fun run, although he'd previously only run the 10-kilometre.
"It was as hard as I expected because of the wind," he said.
Keely Small, 18, was the first female across the line with a time of 16:49.9; her personal best. She also hopes to qualify for Tokyo's Olympics in 2020.
"I might run home - just a long, very extended warm-down - and then next couple of days I'll rest a bit, and then back into training," she said.
Joe Whithear, 7, won the kid-dominated two-kilometre race with a time of 7:38.4. He won the one-kilometre leg in last year's Times fun run: "I went my hardest and didn't leave anything behind me; I just gassed myself."
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast winds of between 15 and 25km/h in Canberra on Sunday. The winds are expected to become light in the evening.
The Canberra Times Fun Run attracted nearly 3500 people.
Results are available at canberratimesfunrun.com.au
Cassandra Morgan
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
It has never been more important for Canberrans to be able to access reliable and accurate information about health. As The Canberra Times’ health reporter, I am committed to ensuring our readers have access to this. I, like many in the territory, have family members who work in the sector. Although providing comprehensive coverage on the coronavirus pandemic is obviously my number one priority, I aim to frequently shed light on the fantastic work our frontline professionals do, as well as the challenges they face. Email me tips and story ideas at: c.morgan@canberratimes.com.au.
