Warrnambool teenager Zac Norton dedicating himself to running

The Warrnambool teenager made a positive impression in the Warrnambool Athletics Club’s summer series opener on Wednesday, finishing the 5km course in 17 minutes and 23 seconds.

Norton, who boards at Geelong College, is ticking off his athletic goals.

“I hadn’t ran for a few years but I started running last year again for cross country for school and I went all right,” he said from the finish line at Flagstaff Hill.

“(I was) six spots off nationals for cross country and I thought I’d give it (running) a crack in the aths season and I am a couple of seconds off 1500m and 3km national qualifying times, so I am looking to hopefully qualify for them by March.

“1500m is my best race but I did an 800m the other day and I surprisingly got a seven-second PB, so I was happy with that and my 3km is pretty good as well.”

The summer series started with some confusion with three runners accidentally taking a shortcut after missing a turn.

Norton, 15, completed the full 5km distance.

“I turned off and the others turned off a different way and they just told me at the end they went the wrong way, so I was the winner,” he said. 

Werribee teenager Mia White, 15, was the first female home in 19.47.

She plans to run in Sunday’s Surf ‘T’ Surf fun run 6km section before returning home.