VMA 10km Championship counts as the 3rd Browne Shield event

After heavy activity on social media over the past 24 hours, complaining about the rain and wind, everyone arriving at Braeside Park this morning was relieved that the place looked in good condition and mercifully the rain held off.

Thanks to the general inclusion that VMA promotes to its members, a new record was reached on participation numbers. This was only possible by using two start times. Many new runners enjoyed the atmosphere during the day, especially the help members offered to each other.

We had 40 minutes between the first and second start, ensuring that the runners in the first group enjoyed the encouragement form the later starters upon entering their second lap. The later starters enjoyed even some moments of sunshine during their run.

Due to roadworks this year’s course offered a slight change. This was a point of discussion after the race while waiting for the presentations to get underway. I had the impression that most runners liked the change in course as it was better flowing with only one turn around. This gave everyone the chance to see other runners. Having a new course required that the runners paid close attention to the briefing which was important in order to not get lost. And yes, at the second lap a couple of runners had to be called back as they missed a right turn. Of course, you could argue that they were in ‘the zone’ and didn’t have time to look around for signs.

It goes without saying that Casey Cardinia Masters had the largest group of participating members. With runners in 13 different age groups we were also the leading club showing the spirit of inclusion. The driving force behind this may be the result of our weekly approach to training, focusing on working as a team.

Congratulations to the runners from Mentone and Dandenong /Springvale for having runners in the men’s 85 - 89 age group. Congratulations also to Satgur for not only winning his age group but also for being the fastest runner today. The honour of the fastest runner for the ladies goes to Kathryn from Coburg, with Tracey clocking the fastest club time.

A special thank you to Michelle & Tony for volunteering, supporting the VMA team to get this event running smoothly. We are looking forward to seeing as many participants as possible for the 10 mile event on the 2nd of August 2026 in Knox.

Full results can be found at the results hub, use link below.

https://athsvic.resultshub.com.au