1984-1985 Canberra Distance Running Unpacked #001 : Four Wedge Tailed Eagles

I'm going to unpack distance running in Canberra for the period April 8 1984 to roughly April 9 1985 over the next year. I'm going to start with my post on this blog from 2012 but from here on in I'm going to use The Canberra Times as my reference and sometimes my feeble memory. It will be a regular posting over the next 14 months or so, maybe I will be a little early chronologically before April 9.

1984 Canberra Marathon

I remember the day of the 1984 Canberra Marathon was windy with drizzle, cool, bleak...not unlike yesterday. I was watching from the sidelines. It was the Olympic trial for Los Angeles. Of the leaders, those who tried to leave the safety of the pack suffered later. Garry Hand aged 38 was one of those who tried. Lisa Martin cruised through in 2:35 to qualify. The real story is that 434 people broke 3 hours that day...another 20 or so finished just over a minute later.

Even though Deek didn't run that day he was mainly responsible. He inspired the nation and especially it's capital with his marathon exploits. I remember those 20 mile mass pack runs in Stromlo forest with his disciples, many of which regularly churned out 100 mile weeks.

From all that hard training came a standard and mass of masters runners in Canberra that we may never see again. Most of the ACT M45 track records were set in 1985 when Deek's influence was at it's greatest. I couldn't break one of them.

Today, around 100m from the Big Hill that leads to the Arboretum in Canberra four huge wedge tailed eagles were arguing over the carcass of a rabbit freshly caught. I didn't have a camera. It was near the cork oaks. Only one WTE stayed as I ran through the lot of them. Not a pretty sight for a vegetarian...I'm not much bigger than a rabbit...oh dear!!

Today a long run of 87 minutes out and back on undulating terrain, eagles twice, felt a bit weak the the calf/achilles seems better each day 800m tomorrow will test it.

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