Dowie delivers on home soil

BALLARAT region athlete Katherine Dowie has signalled her intentions for a strong Australian Cross Country Championships next month by capturing the Victorian title at Ballarat’s Victoria Park last weekend.

The 26-year-old continued her brilliant season form, winning the 10-kilometre open women’s race in a time of 35 minutes and 13 seconds, nine seconds ahead of Essendon’s Charlotte Wilson.

Glenhuntly runner Edward Marks took the honours in the men’s race in a time of 29.23, chased to the finish line by his club mate Aidan Velton (30.12).

It was a happy homecoming for Dowie, who hails from Carisbrook and currently lives in Shepparton where she is studying medicine, but competes under the Ballarat region banner.

She timed her run to perfection, snatching the lead with only 400m to run, and putting some space on her rivals in the concluding stages.

Her eventual nine-second margin over Wilson was nowhere near as comfortable as its sounded, according to Dowie.

“It was a lot closer than it looks, only grabbing the lead in the last little bit,” she said.

“I still managed to get it done, so I was happy enough with it.

“I’m definitely happy to have won the title, it was a big goal.

“When they announced nationals and states were going to be in Ballarat, I thought it’s a pretty cool opportunity to get to run them in your kind of hometown, where running started for me.”

The title win added to a string of victories this year, including success in the open class of the Dragon Mile road race in Bendigo at Easter, and two rounds of the Athletics Victoria Cross-country and Road Series (XCR).

She also won the women’s 10km at the Bendigo Fun Run, a few weeks before her Dragon Mile triumph.

Dowie said she appreciated being able to mix up her racing on the dirt and grass, and relished competing back on home soil.

“Cross country season has been going really well,” she said.

“It all comes down to consistency. I’ve been able to string a lot of good weeks together and be able to focus on getting some good training in.

“I haven’t been injured – I can’t actually remember the last time I was injured.

 

“That’s the biggest thing, as well as experience.

“This is the second year I have done all the open races. Having done it last year, it’s felt like it’s been a bit easier to compete at that level.”

A Victorian title win has Dowie primed for a tilt at the national cross-country championships, to be run at Victoria Park on Saturday, August 23.

She believed getting a run under her belt on the nationals course could only enhance her preparation.

In the meantime, she will aim to up her training load and focus on a couple more Athletics Victoria events.

Last weekend’s event attracted big contingent of open and junior Ballarat region athletes.

Chris Hutchinson was the best placed local behind Dowie in the open’s women’s 46th place in a time of 41.27.

Benjamin Stevens was the first Ballarat athlete to cross the line in the open men’s championship.

He finished 22nd in a time of 31.27.

Only one second separated Ben Mornone (32.14) and Matthew Catterson in 32nd and 33rd place.

Results

Open women:

1. Katherine Dowie (Ballarat Region) 35.13

2. Charlotte Wilson (Essendon) 35.22

3. Donje Viljoem (Box Hill) 35.41

Open men:

1. Edward Marks (Glenhuntly) 29.23

2. Aidan Velten (Glenhuntly) 30.12

3. Gedefaye Ashenif (Essendon) 30.19