Douglas Donaldson Reigns Again – 2024 Around Island Relay

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Athletics Norfolk Island hosted the annual Around Island Relay on Sunday 3rd November, with a strong registration boasting 86 entrants.

The individual runner category is a grueling 25K course, represented by seven courageous individuals who set off from the Gallows Gate start line. Douglas Donaldson, who began the race well after the rest of the field due to age and gender handicaps, overtook the competition over the course to secure the podium position once again. Second place was awarded to Pauly Browne, who ran an outstandingly improved race compared to previous years. Erica Sterling claimed third place, clearly showing her ability and base fitness for endurance events.

The individual walk is an equally difficult task given the course's varied terrain. All walkers, both individuals and teams, started at 6 a.m. The first walker to finish was Gai Disley, who displayed her talent by also placing second in the handicap category. The first male athlete to finish the walk was Matt Tremethick, whose determination helped him complete the course, crossing the line 9 minutes and 52 seconds behind Gai’s blistering pace. Peter Glass also registered a great time for the full walk, claiming first place when the handicap calculations were applied.

This year’s running teams category was awarded to a very talented young group of Norfolk Island athletes, who all displayed serious determination to win the category outright! It was a fantastic display from the Pocket Rockets – Fred O’Connor, Zeta Menzies, Rex Moore, James Christian-Bailey, Jack McGillycuddy, and Alba Menghetti – all of whom showed talent through their enthusiastic contributions.

Second in the running teams was ‘Your Turn,’ who were right on the tail of the Pocket Rockets at the finish line with a solid performance. Notably, Your Turn started the race 14 minutes and 17 seconds behind the Pocket Rockets and nearly caught up without success. Third place was awarded to Michael and Lynne Harrison, tourists from Noosa. They are very capable runners, and their registrations were appreciated by Athletics Norfolk Island.

The walking teams category always attracts the largest contingent of entries, with ten teams this year comprising 43 athletes. All the walking teams posted above-average times, showing commitment to their training in the lead-up to the event. First place was awarded to ‘The Happy Wanderers’ – Suzanne O’Brien’s contributions to this team’s performance was outstanding. A close second was ‘Norfolk Island Yoga,’ quick enough to hold out some solid performances from other teams, notably the Yeo’s and ‘Walk this Way,’ whose strong efforts narrowly missed the podium when handicaps were applied.

Thank you again to all the athletes, supporters, and officials who contributed to another great event. Special thanks to Rachael Nebauer for volunteering her time to cook – Bunnings sausage sizzle gut nothing!