Park at the club and jog over to Grubb Avenue. Parking limited on Grubb Ave.
Duty: Kate Cumming & Clinton Jolly. CM: Dave Mann.
Check the course on Plotaroute https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1998420
The Annual General Meeting last week was well-attended despite the cold. Appreciation to all members who stayed and showed an interest in the club’s future and supported our management. It’s the one meeting in the year where all members are encouraged to attend. As I’ve mentioned before, it takes many people, lots of energy and a fair helping of selflessness to ensure the club operates for the benefit of all. The annual reports are included in this newsletter. I was re-elected as President for a fifth year, and it’s an honour to again lead this club. We’re privileged to have such a strong committee.
The 2023/24 Committee are:
Vice President Andrew Legge
Secretary Alfie Warner
Treasurer Ann Bomers
General Committee Members
Returning: Molly Irvine, Danelle Wright, Greg Semmler (Club AV Captain & AV Committee Rep), Giuseppe Marino, David Barr, Andrew Broberg, Clinton Jolly and Kaye Livingstone. Newly elected: Kate Mayer, Tobiasz Grzmil, Dale Murphy, Ron Verschuur, Marieka Reilly, Desley Tulloch and Trent Kooyman.
There are seven new members who replace the outgoing Warren Shields, and the 5 members who stepped down during the year (Yani Cornthwaite, Pete Sanders, Stephen Renehan, Tim Bye & Hayley Batchelor). I look forward to another fantastic year for the club, and some more excellent achievements with these top people.
As I’ve mentioned, a healthy club requires new energy and new ideas, so if you haven’t yet, it’s time to think about taking on an important club role, such as becoming a Race Director for one of our weekend runs. The commitment isn’t too cumbersome, and it’s really enjoyable working with great people for the benefit of the club. Of course you’ll be supported if you take on an RD role, and it doesn’t have to be just one person. A team makes it even more enjoyable.
Next week’s run is the Tennis Courts 5k
Park, start & finish on Franklin Street (parking in the soccer or tennis courts carparks also).
Duty: Glenn Graham & Kathleen Kent. Course Marker: Alfie Warner.
Congratulations to all who headed up to Gold Coast to compete in various distances last weekend. I’m sure we all saw some great stories pop up on socials, including Molly Irvine coming in 6th in her 5k, and Ree Graham doing a Half and backing up with a 10k the next day. Remember, if you do an event, jot down a few notes for a report to share with your fellow Harriers.
Coming up on July 29th is the mid-year presentation night, which will be held at the Traralgon Bowls Club. All members are invited and encouraged to attend a fun club evening. Presentations will be made for the Summer Championship top 10 and a few other awards. There will be bare foot bowls, supper, drinks and another opportunity to mix socially with fellow club members. We’re asking everyone to RSVP via Eventbrite. Members are free and guests are $20. Bowling from 6:30pm. Presentations from 8pm.
We all know that the social aspect of this club is unique and a genuinely wonderful thing to be a part of. Thank you to all members who make the effort to be inclusive, to welcome new runners, to encourage each other and be supportive. You never know how you’re making someone else feel just by encouraging them and cheering them on, remembering their name and smiling. It’s not a hard thing to do but it could change someone’s day.
As part of the wash-up from this year’s Marathon, we donated $500 to Latrobe Neighbourhood Watch, $500 to the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail, and $200 to Traralgon South Scouts, to show thanks for their time and efforts in supporting our event, and to residually help support these wonderful organisations to continue their work in our community.
There are 5 starting groups for Thursday runs. This saves congestion on footpaths at the start, and a mass of runners on roads in town. Club Handicapper Andrew Legge has grouped members into fair handicaps based on times (check the table in this newsletter or on FB). If you feel you need to be re-handicapped please have a chat to him. Handicaps are about members running in a group that is commensurate with the individual member’s time, so we all run in a group with similar times and ability. Handicaps are not a penalty. It spreads runners out at the start, so is safer, and means that members all finish around the same time. Handicaps are fluid and adjusted as required. Let those on duty know if there is a mistake so they can make note and can be rectified.
Make sure you get your name checked off the list BEFORE starting, making note of your group.
Group 1 (Walkers/Slower Runners) - Start Upon Arrival
Group 2- Start 5:50
Group 3- Start 6
Group 4- Start 6:05
Group 5- Start 6:10
-Self Timing (please give time to duty member after you’ve finished the course).
-New Runners Always Welcome (2 free runs before membership).
-ALL RUNNERS MUST WEAR THE CLUB-APPROVED REFLECTIVE VEST. Guests and forgetful members will be issued a loaner to be returned. All new financial members receive a vest as part of their membership (over $55 value). ALL MEMBERS MUST WEAR A CLUB APPROVED REFLECTIVE VEST AT EVERY WINTER RUN. This is part of an agreement made with Latrobe City and Vic Pol.
-PLEASE check in with duty members and get your name marked off the list BEFORE you take to the course (Very important for safety so we know who is on course). Walkers still start upon arrival for winter season.
-Look after junior runners and newbies. Be careful on the road, at road crossings. Give way to traffic.
-Please run on the right hand side so you can see traffic, or preferably, on the footpath. Watch for obstacles. Safety is the priority over times!
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE: Please be aware of cars if you’re running on the road. We do not have right-of-way. We’ve had a few close calls recently, and the last thing we want to see is a member getting injured due to negligence and not paying attention because they’re “in the zone”. This is not an allocation of fault or blame, just a fact that we need to be aware of. Please be careful, pay attention and look after yourselves when running on the road. Time should not be your major focus, your safety should be. Unfortunately, there are a lot of foolish drivers on the road, and also people who are hostile towards runners for a multitude of reasons. As a club we should not contribute to this negative perception by being foolish or inconsiderate ourselves. Every time we do a Thursday run on the road during winter, we are representing the club, and taking a calculated personal risk, so make sure you mitigate the risks and remain aware.
Run on footpaths if possible, but if you run on the road, stick to the right hand side gutter, so you can see oncoming traffic and move onto the nature strip if required.
*All members please check the Winter Duty Roster and make note of your rostered date. If you can’t do your allocated duty, it’s up to you to swap with someone or get a fill-in. If you’re not on the roster it’s because you’re a course marker, you don’t run Thursdays (only do AV), you’re a junior member, late-in-the-season-joining new member, or you got lucky. That’s the benefit of having good membership numbers; you get to run more and only have to do one duty in a season. The idea is to make duty fun, it’s not a chore. It’s a great way to get to know other members and put names to faces. (NB: If you’re on duty, you can run early, do the course and put in your time).
*Duty Roster Winter 2023
REMEMBER: If you can’t fulfil your allocated duty, the onus is on you to swap with someone.
6 July Kate Cumming & Clinton Jolly
13 July Glenn Graham & Kathleen Kent
20 July Trent Kooyman & Owen Notting
27 July Jason Odlum & Dale Murphy
3 Aug Kylie Murray & Rose Croft
10 Aug Michelle Sawyer & Maree Graham
17 Aug Katelyn Rowe & Felicity Beasley
24 Aug Bjorn Luxmann & Paul Smith
31 Aug Tania Whitehead & Adam Van Baalen
7 Sept David Barr & Josh Dalton
14 Sep Anthony Magaldi & Andrew Greenhill
21 Sep Gary Fox & Shane Gavin
28 Sept Liz Kenney & Matilda Lappin
5 Oct Newborough Track Duty TBC
12 Oct Samantha McGown & John Richards
*IMPORTANT Harriers Dates
20 July Committee Meeting - First meeting of the new committee
29 July Mid-year Presentations, Traralgon Bowls Club – RSVP via Eventbrite
August Date TBC Memorial Run (12k & 6K road events)
5 Oct Newborough Track
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*For those doing Thursday duty, please arrive by 5:40 at the start of the course. The list will be there provided by Handicapper Andrew Legge. You need to check-in all attending members (by highlighting their names) before they set off on course, and write in their times at the end. One person should be responsible for the list, the other should be on the clock and announcing start times for the groups (use your phone). Give each group a two minute, one minute and 10 second warning, and then a clear vocal start.
*Course markers should inform of any aspects on the course for safety, and you should be familiar with the course if there is a plotaroute (many summer trails don’t have them) so you can give directions especially to new runners (who you should make feel welcome and inform me of their attendance to give a shout out at the end). Plotaroutes are posted on the club’s FB page and Insta. The course marker should make note of any obstructions or obstacles and point them out at the start of the run and inform those on duty. Winter in town runs must be marked with white chalk with large arrows.
Course Markers are to get marking chalk from Molly Irvine, preferably the week prior to your course at the Thursday run. Marking is dependent upon weather, and should be done just before the run to ensure clear, fresh arrows.
*In the event that weather is seriously inclement in winter (severe rain, gale force winds) we may cancel the Thursday run, but traditionally, Thursday Harriers is run in spite of the weather. If it is too bad to run, we’ll notify cancellation via social media. If the weather is bad and we still run, we may just cancel doing lucky member draw and member’s address after, to avoid standing around in the cold. In that case, members can arrive, run, lodge times and go, with no need to stand around freezing.
*Traralgon Harriers Merchandise – Remember we’ve got club socks, caps, visors and beanies; socks come in women’s and men’s and are $15 for members ($20 for non-members), caps are one-size fit $20 ($25 non), and beanies are $20 for members ($25 for non). We also have running singlets at a cost of $30 for members. All merchandise is at a subsidised cost to members; we’re not trying to make money off these items, just provide another way for members to unify, identify and fly the club flag.
*Lucky Member Prize Draw after each Thursday run - All financial members are on the list. Remember you must be there to collect your prize otherwise it is re-drawn (This happens a fair bit, so don’t miss out - Don’t be a winner who leaves and therefore loses). The value of the prizes has gone up so it’s even more worth your while sticking around. Remember, the draw happens after the last runner is through and all times have been recorded. Thanks to Kaye Livingstone for organising the weekly prizes.
At the end of each Thursday run we also welcome and acknowledge any new runners who have joined us for the first time. If you see a new face, say hi, chat to them and make sure they stick around and feel welcomed. We seem to have new runners every week and a lot are actually joining after their 2 free runs.
Aside from our Thursday runs, club weekend events and AV team opportunities, the club also has 2 fantastic weekly training groups, one in the morning for early risers, and one in the evening after work ..
*T-Squad Weekend Sessions: usually Saturday mornings from 8:30am, at various locations with Greg Semmler. Join the FB Group “T Squad” for more details. This group has built into a really strong part of the Harriers, and aside from quality training, they enjoy breakfast together. Food is a great motivation!
*Tuesday Group Sessions: at the Little Aths Track, Davidson Street Traralgon from 6pm with me and a great team. Join the FB Group “Traralgon Tuesday Running Group” for more details. This group has been going for over 20 years, and is all about training (obviously) but also laughs, support and friendships. The camaraderie at TTRG is the thing that has seen it continue for so long, so if you haven’t come along to a session, put it in your diary.
The club newsletter is an important communication medium, and most members use it as a place to get updates, information and share stories. Our NL editor Twitey works hard each week to ensure that it is interesting, informative and relevant. Many members enjoy reading of others adventures and inspirational journeys, so don’t be shy to share and shoot your articles, thoughts and running snippets through. Twitey will be away for a few weeks and Glenn Crawford is steeping into the NL Editor’s chair. Send your notes to [email protected]
