Next Thursday will be the first club committee meeting for the year, with a long list on the agenda, as always.
The first cab off the rank will be the 2025 community fun run on Sunday 23rd March at Kernot Hall. DFP are no longer the event’s naming rights sponsor after 9 years, and we thank them for their long-standing support of the event. This year we will be focusing on the fun and fundraising aspects.
Race Directors Trent Kooyman and Clinton Jolly are doing a mountain of work behind the scenes, because that is what it takes to put these events together. Lots of time, dedication to the club and cause are required. We’ll want all members to support the CFR, and bring along friends and family. 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.
We’ll also be discussing the 2025 Marathon and Running Festival, with Race Director Desley Gray and her amazing team (Marieka Reilly, Sep Marino, Clinton Jolly). Des has been plotting and planning for months, with the aim to invigorate the event, with an updated course on the board.
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 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.
Last year I mentioned the safety aspect of our winter runs going forward. Safety is always a major consideration 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 as busy, with less traffic and road crossings, and some of them now are becoming untenable as the population of Traralgon grows. 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.
I’ve had a few suggestions put forward, but 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
6 February Committee Meeting NEXT THURSDAY
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: I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before, but it’s true - hard work pays off. If you want to be good at something, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.
Phill Mayer – President
Super deal on a couple of local runs - Our friends organising the Rokeby Twilight Saturday 22nd March (the night before our CFR, but you can do both) ,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.
RTB VIP code for Traralgon Harriers - Saves 20% RTBTHVIP
RTTR 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
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)
