Many Macdonalds to contest Dragon Mile

THE Macdonald clan will be out in force in the Dragon Mile athletics classic being run this Easter Sunday in the heart of Bendigo.

It’s the 39th edition of the race to be held before the gala procession.

Sandeman Build is major sponsor of this race which will now be known as the Neil Macdonald Dragon Mile.

The Macdonald family links to Bendigo Harriers which have organised the Mile since its inception in 1987 stretch back to the mid 1950s when Neil and his brothers started racing with the club.

Neil’s run across almost 40 years competing on the pro circuit include a Mile victory at the Bendigo Thousand carnival in 1961, and a Mile win at a Stawell Gift meet.

He celebrated some memorable wins on the Masters circuit, including gold at world championship level in Brisbane and Linz in Austria.

At least one Macdonald was involved in all 50 editions of the Bendigo International Madison athletics-cycling carnival.

Neil Macdonald is known to many through his work to raise funds for Prostate Cancer research as key organiser of the Biggest Ever Blokes Lunch.

He had a term as president of Bendigo Harriers and played a key role in the formation of Bendigo Athletics Club.

The Dragon Mile honour board includes Olympians Mike Hillardt, Collis Birmingham, Jack Rayner, and Bendigo’s own Andy Buchanan who ran the marathon at the 2024 Paris Games.

Others to have charged to victory include Malcolm Norwood, Bendigo Harriers’ Brady Threlfall and Cody Williamson, and Bendigo University’s Matt Buckell.

First of the Dragon Mile races on Easter Sunday will be the Mini Mile for grade four-and-under girls at 10am.

The Mini Mile for boys will start 15 minutes later.

Across the decades the Dragon Mile has grown to include the 1609-metre contests for grades 5-6, years 7-8 and 9-10.

Last of Sunday’s races starts at 11.15am when the open, 40-plus, 50-plus and years 11-12 categories start and finish at the gold monument on Pall Mall.

Multiple winners of the women’s title include Eureka’s Katherine Dowie, Melissa Duncan, Sarah Jamieson, Victoria Mitchell, and South Bendigo’s Teleah Hayes.