The Westfund Health Insurance 10km might be the unofficial main event of this weekend’s Orange Running Festival but don’t sleep on the 5km equivalent, it’ll be playing host to – potentially – one of the gala’s most fierce contests.
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Star Orange triathlete Kim Dale and RPT Health Group athletics development squad coach Jeremy Wallace will both be running the Hotel Canobolas 5km Challenge and will partner with 10-year-old Logan Dale and nine-year-old Jocelyn Blair, respectively.
Both youngsters are members of Wallace’s outfit and are also two of Orange’s brightest running prospects.
“So it’s actually Jocelyn’s 10th birthday this weekend and she desperately wanted to run. She needed someone to run with her, so I put my hand up, I’m not sure her family could keep up with her. I’m not sure I’ll be able to either,” Wallace laughed.
“Logan was the same and we spoke about it at training so Kim’s decided to run with him as well and we’ll be having a bit of a race within a race, you could say, to see who will win out of the boy-girl teams.
“It’ll be good fun, a bit of friendly competition.”
Friendly, sure.
We’ll be having a bit of a race within a race, you could say.
- RPT athletics coach Jeremy Wallace
“Yeah, there’s still been a fair bit of trash talk,” Wallace laughed.
“We’re all looking forward to it. In terms of the actual race itself I’m not sure how we’ll go, Kim has been doing a lot of Olympic-style triathlons which are longer distance and I certainly won’t be anywhere near the top in my age group.
“But Jocelyn is a state runner and Logan is well on his way too, he’s very talented as well and is learning the ropes. I'd say Jocelyn will be right up there in her age group and Logan will go really well too.”
The Hotel Canobolas 5km is one of several races over that distance in this weekend’s festival which, outside the 10km run, also includes the Pete’s Car Wash 2km Junior Dash, the Athlete’s Foot Half Marathon and the JP Hotel Brokers Marathon.
The 10km, half marathon and marathon events are part of the revamped Optus NSW Regional Distance Running Championship as well, a concept Wallace lauded.
“It’s great, adding the 10km and marathon races to it as well really opens it up to a lot more people,” he said.
“It makes for a more diverse competition as well and, hopefully, more people will get involved and particularly younger people. I’d hope it encourages them to get out, get active and have a go.”
Across those three races, the Optus NSW Regional Distance Running Championship’s Orange leg is followed by events at Bathurst, Mudgee, Dubbo, Forbes and Carcoar, with the winners decided by cumulative points earned.
The junior dash is on Saturday afternoon, with the remainder of events on Sunday morning.
Wallace will take to the Orange Running Festival’s Bloomfield course after coaching a trio of Orange’s runners at the Cowra Gift festival on Saturday as well.
Ollie Keegan, James Sutherland and Cleo Dickie will all head to compete in the annual event.