Rainbow in the rain: Afterglow lights up Surf Coast

EARLY concerns regarding participant numbers due to poor weather conditions were quickly quelled when hundreds of runners turned out for the 2022 Afterglow Night Trail Run event.

Event organiser and Tour De Trails director Chris Ord was astounded by the congregation of 550 trail-runners that undertook the five-kilometre, 13-kilometre and 21-kilometre runs, while battling an inundation of rain from Point Addis to Torquay.

“Trail-runners are a different breed, I’m telling you,” Mr Ord said post-event.

“Everyone there all seemed to love it and that’s not me trying to PR the thing, because I had to deal with a few things on the course expecting a few negative responses as a result, but they just loved it, frothed it even.

“All the way down to my 12-year-old daughter, who managed to finish the 13-kilometre run. It was a great night overall.”

Mr Ord thanked his team of volunteers who braved the weather conditions, donning unicorn dresses and motivating runners across the courses’ marshalling points/first aid stations.

“Coming off the back of COVID, everyone has had a couple years away from the event. But to see people come together and shed off a little bit of the memory from the pandemic, is really something you can’t really complain about,” he said.

Geelong local and Surf Coast Trail Marathon winner Nicole Virant took home the main women’s 21-kilometre race in impressive fashion with a time of 1:41:57, a minute and a half faster than runner-up Jo Noesgaard who concluded the run with a time of 1:43:23.

Shane Mallia (1:31:45) edged out Benjamin Cherry (1:32:02) by a mere 17 seconds in a thrilling finish to the men’s 21-kilometre run.

Erin Littlewood (1:09:01) and Kevin Chisholm (1:02:02) were victorious in the 13-kilometre course, whereas Aleara Wallace (18:21) and Otis Jones (15:41) secured the five-kilometre even.

Ord said Saturday’s Afterglow event was the worst event he had ever directed weather-wise, yet was also one of the brightest and happiest events he had been involved in.