A LATE decision to enter proved a winning move for Surf ‘T’ Surf champion Brenton Rowe.
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The Geelong runner won his third straight 10-kilometre title yesterday after signing up less than 24 hours before the iconic Warrnambool fun run.
Rowe, 27, crossed the Lake Pertobe finish line in 31 minutes and 35 seconds — 1.17 slower than his record-breaking 2014 effort.
The race for a podium finish was between the master and the apprentice, with former Olympian Steve Moneghetti holding out Warrnambool teenager Tom Hynes.
Moneghetti, 52, displayed the talent which helped him claim Commonwealth Games gold earlier in his career to complete the wind-swept course in 32.41.
Hynes, one of the south-west’s most promising distance runners, clocked 33.19 to earn his best Surf ‘T’ Surf finish after consecutive fourths.
Rowe won the Lorne Mountain to Surf — an eight-kilometre fun run — on Friday and was unsure how he’d pull up.
But the former Dunkeld-based athlete recovered strongly, prompting him to call Surf ‘T’ Surf organiser Jason Chuck on Saturday to register.
Rowe said he was proud to defend his title.
“It is always nice to win something three times in a row,” he said.
“Hopefully next year I can come back down and try and win it a fourth time.
“I am pretty happy with the result after I did a fun run in Lorne on Friday.”
Rowe shed 12 seconds off the Surf ‘T’ Surf record last year with an impressive time of 30.18.
He said he knew he wouldn’t better that mark yesterday.
“When I was a bit sore from Lorne I thought ‘I won’t go for the record this year’ and it was quite windy,” he said.
“Another year I might have another crack at trying to reduce it a bit more.”
Rowe had a clear advantage for much of the undulating run and used a tailwind on the way back to his advantage.
“The weather was a bit harder this year; it wasn’t really conducive to running quick times,” he said.
“It was windy. I eased into it a bit more. I just ran my own race pretty much after a couple of kilometres.
“A bit over a kilometre in I stretched it out and kept gaining a little bit over the rest of the distance.”
Rowe praised Moneghetti, who finished fourth in the Mountain to Surf, for his longevity in the sport.
He said the Ballarat-based veteran was a great ambassador who led by example.
“I’d be surprised if I am still running that quick at that age,” Rowe said.
Moneghetti said he was thrilled to finish runner-up for a second straight year, particularly just two days after the eight-kilometre Lorne event.
He said Hynes’ effort to podium was a highlight of the 34th Surf ‘T’ Surf.
“That’s the first time he has finished in the top three so that’s a good progression,” Moneghetti said.
“I have followed him for a few years and it is good to see him still running well and it seems like he is improving.
“He is a tough little fella and a quiet achiever.
“It is great to have a local guy coming through, something good for the future.”
Hynes said he was content with his effort against more experienced runners.
“I didn’t really expect it but I ran a good time,” he said.
“I am pretty happy to get into the placings this year.
“I try and improve each year.”
