5km Frenzy to honour Jack Davey

APPROACHING the seventy-fifth year since he raced at the-then Empire Games, Bendigo athlete Jack Davey is going strong.

Next month’s 5km Frenzy at Lar Birpa in Flora Hill will again be a showdown for the Jack Davey 5km championship for Athletics Bendigo Region registered athletes.

Bendigo Harriers Athletics Club has teamed up with A.L. Parker Electrical and Mulqueen Finance to present the 5km Frenzy on Friday, February 7.

At the age of 96, Davey will again be aiming to be trackside and resplendent in his blazer from the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland to present the 5km Frenzy sashes.

Davey was fourth in the six-mile, now known as the 10,000m at the ’50 Empire Games.

His athletics prowess earned a place in the Bendigo Sports Star of the Year Basil Ashman Hall of Fame.

This year will be the fifth running of the 5km Frenzy in which Bendigo Harriers’ Nathan Stoate could be on track to chase a hat-trick.

The first two editions were won by University’s Andy Buchanan who has since raced in the marathon at the Paris Olympics and is now the Australian record-holder for the marathon.

Organisers of the 5km Frenzy have offered a $1000 incentive for any state open record being broken, and a $100 bonus for any Bendigo Centre record being broken on the night.

There will be various heats of the 5km and the night will include the Little Athletics 800m.

Entries close at midnight on February 2 via the Athletics Bendigo website.