Reid rules roads in Devonport

SOUTH Bendigo Athletics Club’s distance running star Archie Reid has marked another successful trip to Tasmania by winning the ten-kilometre contest at Run Devonport.

Reid, 20, raced in the north-western Tasmanian city for the first time after successful previous hit-outs at Launceston’s Running Festival.

The Moama-based athlete was the recipient of the Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year award across 2020 and 2021.

Reid’s plan in Devonport was to attack from the start.

“There were some quality runners in the field,” he said.

“The biggest danger was Josh Harris from Launceston. He raced in the marathon at the 2017 world athletics championships in London and had won Devonport three times,” said Reid.

“A goal was to run the kilometre splits on the first three ks in 2.55 minutes or less.”

As he approached the four-kilometre mark near The Bluff and overlooking Bass Strait, Reid had a sizeable gap on rivals.

“After such a fast start I was able to drop the pace slightly to aim for one-kilometre splits of three minutes,” he said.

Reid ruled the race in a time of 30.33 minutes.

A goal was to race the five-kilometre event at the upcoming national track titles in Sydney, but the race in which he beat the qualifying mark was a day after entries closed.

Reid’s focus now moves to Run for The Kids in Melbourne on 3 April and a new season with Bendigo Bats in Athletics Victoria’s cross-country series.