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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for APSOC Cross Country
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260418T143000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260418T160000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010011Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T052157Z
UID:6359-1776522600-1776528000@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Williamson 5k
DESCRIPTION:Haileybury Athletics Club (or Old Haileybury as it was originally known) joined APSOC in 1989 and was quick to introduce its own teams event into the winter calendar. For the first five years\, the event took the form of a relay conducted over a 4 km circuit of the Keysborough campus of Haileybury College. There were four relay legs of 4 km\, 8 km\, 8 km and 4 km respectively. Old Scotch and St Kevin’s had some epic contests during these years\, with Old Scotch leading 3:2 at that point. \nAfter a few years\, the race came to be named in honour of Jim Williamson\, a physical education master at Haileybury from 1956 to 1975. Jim\, who passed away in 1983\, was the person mainly responsible for the rise of athletics at Haileybury\, being master in charge of the sport from 1956 to 1969. In the mid-1960s\, he\, along with like-minded teachers from other APS schools\, inaugurated the school winter cross country competition. \nFrom 1996 to 2004\, the race become a 6 km scratch race\, still at Keysborough. The Old Scotch men and Old Wesley women dominated this period\, with Paul Patrick (OS) and Anna Thompson (OW) leading the way with outstanding times of 18:14 and 20:57 respectively. In 2005\, the event moved to the school’s Berwick campus\, a move that coincided with Haileybury’s and Old Xaverians’ rise as powers in the open and women’s competition respectively. The race distance was later shortened to 5 km. The change of venue gave APSOC another true cross country course of grass\, mud and hills. \nCourse records: \nMen/Women \nTom Thorpe (OW) 15:00.8 2017/Anna Kasapis (OW) 18:26.1 2019
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/williamson-5k/
LOCATION:Haileybury College\, 138 High Street\, Berwick\, Victoria\, 3806\, Australia
CATEGORIES:APSOC
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260502T143000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260502T160000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T054358Z
UID:6233-1777732200-1777737600@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Orchard Handicap 10k/5k
DESCRIPTION:The Ken Orchard 10k Handicap\, or ‘The Orchard’ as it commonly known\, starts and finishes at the Wesley boatshed on Lakeside Drive\, Albert Park\, at the southern end of Albert Park Lake. It is a handicap race\, with runners going off at starting times calculated by the handicapper’s computer. Competitors run two clockwise laps of the lake plus a 600m loop\, starting and finishing at the same point. Afternoon tea\, provided by Old Wesley Collegians AC\, is served after the race at the boatshed.\nThis race originated in 1937 as the 5 Miles Handicap\, one of the earliest events on the APSOC calendar. It was run as such until 1941 when the Association disbanded during World War II. Upon resumption in 1946\, it was renamed the Ken Orchard Memorial Handicap in memory of Ken Orchard\, an Old Wesley athlete who lost his life in air operations off Darwin in 1942. Ken was an enthusiastic secretary of Old Wesley before enlisting in the RAAF and in 1940 finished third in this event at Albert Park.\nIn common with most events of the time\, in its early days the race was rotated between venues\, but from 1959\, being an Old Wesley-sponsored event\, it was held at Albert Park. Until 1973\, the event distance was maintained at 5 miles or 8 kilometres. From 1974\, the distance was increased to the current 10 kilometres\, comprising two laps of the lake plus a small loop at the end. This was presumably easier to handle than separate starting and finishing points and kept the course mainly on the lake bank. The five mile course had included a short cut across the golf course. For some time now the lake circuits have been run clockwise\, but in earlier years the event was sometimes run anti-clockwise.\nIn 1995\, with redevelopment work commencing in Albert Park for the Grand Prix\, the event had to be moved to Fawkner Park\, an attractive venue\, but the distance required four laps of the park. This venue posed difficulties with parking and post-run refreshments\, so in 2003 the Orchard returned to the lake.On a windy day\, twice around Albert Park Lake provides a testing run regardless of wind direction and therefore a good cross-country course. The extra 600 metre loop when in sight of the finish also adds an extra degree of difficulty.Most of the Association greats over the years have featured as winners of this event\, either on handicap or as fastest time. The record over the current circuit is held by Steve Austin (OS) in 30:27\, just edging out Ewen Wilson (OS) and Richard Hope (SK) in 30:30. Anna Thompson (OW) has the fastest women’s time at Albert Park of 36:51.\nPlease note that for the first time\, this year APSOC has added a 5 km option for runners\, but those who choose this option will be ineligible for awards or Athlete of the Year points.
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/orchard-handicap-10k/
LOCATION:Albert Park\, Lakeside Drive\, South Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3206\, Australia
CATEGORIES:APSOC
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260523T134500
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260523T153000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010022Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T054802Z
UID:6341-1779543900-1779550200@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Dyson Relay 3.8k
DESCRIPTION:The Frank Dyson Relay is the third oldest event on the APSOC calendar. It was first held in 1939\, but was suspended during the war years between 1942 and 1945. The race resumed in 1946 and has been held every year since then on the famous Tan track around the Melbourne Botanic Gardens. \nWhen looking at previous results\, the older team and fastest lap times appear slower than in recent years\, but this is because the original course included extra distance beyond the Tan track to create a 4 km circuit. Since 1989\, all runners have been required to run a single 3.82 km lap. The current start and relay changeover point is near Government House Drive. Runners travel in a clockwise direction\, so that the initial section is relatively flat to the bottom of the feared Anderson Street hill. From the top of Anderson Street\, there is a mostly downhill run to the finish. \nThere have been many outstanding performances over the years in this event\, including Steve Austin’s lap of 10:55 at 40 years of age\, but none better than Matt Clarke’s incredible time and course record of 10:45.6 in 2019. The women’s course record is currently held by Anna Thompson (OW) at 12:12. Old Scotch’s winning team in 2001 clocked 1:07.26\, an average of 11:14 per runner.
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/dyson-relay-3-8k/
LOCATION:Tan Track (Birdwood Ave)\, Birdwood Avenue\, Melbourne\, Victoria\, 3004\, Australia
CATEGORIES:APSOC
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260620T143000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260620T160000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T055904Z
UID:6378-1781965800-1781971200@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Alan Hooley Relay
DESCRIPTION:Alan Hooley acted as APSOC Chief Official for more than twenty years\, commencing in the mid-1970’s. He was also the co-founder of the event which now bears his name\, the Alan Hooley Relay. Alan passed away in 2014. \nFormerly known as the Gilwell Park Relays\, this race was first held in 1978. Gilwell Park is a scout camp in a hilly forest area\, containing numerous forest trails\, making it an ideal venue for cross country running. But from 2013\, the event moved to Karkarook Park in Moorabbin with its flat and fast trails\, and then in 2015\, to scenic Nortons Park\, Wantirna South\, and finally to the present venue\, Braeside Park\, in 2023. Since 2013\, relay legs have been 3 km in length. \nThe Hooley Relay is unique on the APSOC calendar by reason of the requirement for each team member to run twice. There are no restrictions on running order\, but almost all teams adopt the tactic of giving each runner the maximum possible recovery time between legs\, so that in open four person teams\, the first runner will also run the fifth leg\, the second runner the sixth leg\, and so on. \nThe open team results for the event are interesting\, with Old Xaverians winning eight in a row 1978-85\, Old Scotch ten in a row 1992-2001 and Haileybury six in a row 2003-2008. \nAll athletes are requested to bring a contribution to afternoon tea. There is no available electricity and so athletes are encouraged to bring their own hot water for tea and/or coffee.
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/alan-hooley-relay/
LOCATION:Braeside Park\, Cypress Drive\, Braeside\, Victoria\, 3195
CATEGORIES:APSOC
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260704T140000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260704T160000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010043Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T060029Z
UID:6370-1783173600-1783180800@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Lodge Handicaps 8/16k
DESCRIPTION:From 1961\, St Kevin’s AAC hosted a 10 mile (16 km) handicap race\, starting and finishing within the school grounds. Until 1986\, the handicap winner received the Peter Secombe trophy\, but St Kevin’s AAC wished to recognise the contribution of the Lodge family and the event became known thereafter as the Lodge Handicap. In 1988\, by popular demand\, an 8 km event was added\, giving runners the choice of two distances. \nThe 16 km course has changed markedly over the years. It used to comprise two 8 km laps from St Kevin’s College to the Yarra Boulevard then through Scotch College\, but traffic and safety issues forced the race to be moved to the mostly flat bike path along the Yarra River. 2021 saw another course change\, this time starting and finishing at the new St Kevin’s campus in Tooronga. \nThere have been some fast times on the Yarra bike path\, particularly in the 8 km\, where record holders Drew Cole (OX) 24:06 and Abi Bayley (OX) 27:30 have torn up the course. But John Cormack (OS) has hung on to his 16 km record of 50:09 since 1984\, set on the old course. This is the second oldest APSOC course record\, which clearly demonstrates the high quality of the performance. Anna Thompson holds the women’s 16 km record of 57:45. \nRecords on the new course are: \nMen 8k Adam Pyke (OW) 24:23\, 16k Ben Haseler (OX) 53:11 \nWomen 8k Anna Kasapis 30:03\, 16k Karen Thorp 60:20. \nThe Lodge Handicaps start at 2.00 pm\, half an hour earlier than the usual APSOC race starting time\, and all runners must check in at the St Kevin’s campus by 1.50 p.m (16k) or 2.30 p.m (8k).
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/lodge-handicaps-816k/
LOCATION:St Kevin’s College Tooronga Sports Fields\, 1002 Crescent Road\, Glen Iris
CATEGORIES:APSOC
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260718T143000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260718T160000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010018Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T054851Z
UID:6186-1784385000-1784390400@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Jamieson 5k
DESCRIPTION:The Alex Jamieson 5km teams race and sealed handicap at Scotch College is one of the highlights of the APSOC calendar. The event was first held in 1950 and women first competed in 1981. It has been the traditional opening race of our winter season since 1995. The usually kind weather\, convenient location and short course length has proved to be an attractive mix\, resulting in fields of over 200 runners. Check-in is between the tennis courts and the Cardinal Club boatshed at the Yarra River end of Morrison Street. The runners then walk through the school back to the soccer pitch for the start of the race. There is car parking opposite the tennis courts and along Morrison Street. \nThe Jamieson course was changed for the 2015 race with the removal of the famous Glenferrie Road hill. The new course remains a varied one\, with the terrain from flat ground to short\, sharp hills. Running surfaces are generally good. The course commences with a spectacular charge from the soccer pitch across the rugby and around the boundary of the lower ovals\, before a tight U-turn takes runners up on to the Gardiners Creek levee bank. Then it’s back around the soccer pitch before the competitors must climb the service road to the Main Oval. From there\, the runners turn right and head for the Monash Drive past the chapel and out into Morrison Street. Then there is a slight downhill section almost to the river\, where runners cut back left to follow the Gardiners Creek levee bank once again. The same circuit (levee bank-soccer pitch-service road-Main Oval-Monash Drive-Morrison Street-levee bank is repeated until the runners dip down from the levee bank and head back around the lower ovals and across the rugby oval to the finish line on the soccer pitch. \nAs the Jamieson is a scratch race with all competitors starting together\, the handicap event is a “sealed” handicap\, based on runners’ previous performances in the APSOC competition. The Jamieson has a long and proud history. Old Scotch Collegians Athletic Club provides a generous afternoon tea after the race on the Cardinal Club balcony overlooking the Yarra River\, at which the team and individual awards are announced. \nCourse records: \nOld course: Men – Paul Wilson (OS) 14:47 1998; Women – Anna Thompson (OW) 16:03 2006 \nNew course: Men – David McNeill (OX) 15:17.0 2019; Women – Michaela Parsons (OH) 18:10.2 2019
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/jamieson-5k/
LOCATION:Scotch College\, Morrison Street\, Hawthorn\, Victoria\, 3122\, Australia
CATEGORIES:APSOC
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DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260815T143000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260815T163000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T055612Z
UID:6385-1786804200-1786811400@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Brighton-by-the-Sea 8k
DESCRIPTION:After much groundwork by Alan Hooley\, the Old Brighton Grammarians club was admitted to the APSOC competition in 1987. Just one year later\, the club was granted permission to host a handicap event at Green Point on the Brighton foreshore. In the race’s early days\, runners would gather at the old wooden shelter in the Brighton Beach Gardens. It is fair to say that\, particularly in inclement weather\, the shelter did not cope well with the horde of runners and their post-race aromas. It therefore came as something of a relief when Old Brighton secured the use of the nearby Scout Hall for the event. \nThe course has not changed much over the years and has always featured the now notorious last kilometre on the soft and gluggy sand of Brighton Beach\, but has been shortened from 9 km to 8 km in 2025. The scenic splendour of the coloured bathing boxes is lost on the runners as they slog their way along the beach and up to the finish in the car park. \nEarly in the race\, runners must negotiate the sandy paths through the tea trees on the cliff top to and from Sandringham\, before joining the concrete footpath at beach level to Green Point. After passing the Scout Hall\, the course then continues north on the bitumen bike path next to Beach Road to the Brighton Baths\, where the runners turn back south for the run along the beach to the finish. \nA unique feature of the race is the teams handicap format. Instead of the club’s fastest runners\, it is the first four runners across the line\, whether male or female\, who make up its team. This gives the smaller clubs a chance for victory and both Old Brighton (five wins) and Old Geelong (three wins) have taken advantage of this over the years. Course record holders are Darren Wilson (OS) 27.23 and Kate Smyth (OW) 33.02. Darren’s mark from 2001\, in particular\, is phenomenal\, given the difficulty of the course. \nThere is ample parking in the Green Point car park.
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/brighton-by-the-sea-9k/
LOCATION:Green Point\, 40 Esplanade\, Brighton\, Victoria\, 3186\, Australia
CATEGORIES:APSOC
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260829T133000
DTEND;TZID=Australia/Melbourne:20260829T150000
DTSTAMP:20260416T183034
CREATED:20240217T010015Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T060153Z
UID:6396-1788010200-1788015600@apsoc.net.au
SUMMARY:Cooke-McClelland 8k
DESCRIPTION:It is fitting that the event which started it all back in 1931\, when the first challenge race took place between Old Xaverians\, Old Scotch and Old Wesley through the paddocks of Kew and Hawthorn\, usually takes pride of place as the final race on the APSOC winter calendar. The Cooke-McClelland is also the last of the five premiership races\, which means that the results of the event often determine the champion teams and athletes of the year. \nThe race is named after two of the founding members of Old Xaverians Athletic Club\, John “Jack” Cooke and Tom McClelland. It is run over a testing 8 km course around the Kew Boulevard and Yarra Bend. The course rises and falls several times\, and many athletes have suffered late in the race after going out too hard on the early hills. \nThe Cooke-McClelland course has remained relatively unchanged over almost half a century until 2022\, allowing direct comparisons between performances during that time. Only five male athletes have broken 25 minutes\, with Nick de Castella (OX) doing it twice and setting the course record of 24:37 in 1981. The outstanding quality of this run explains why it remains the oldest record on the APSOC books. Anna Thompson (OW) dominates the fastest women’s times\, with 27:25 being her best in 2002. The open team’s race is always hotly contested\, with Old Scotch holding the three lowest team scores under the current scoring system.  \nRoad safety considerations necessitated changes to the iconic course and the race is now run over two laps of 4 km\, but retaining the tough uphill section to the finish\, which will be completed twice\, once on each lap. \nPerhaps because it is the last event in the season\, the afternoon tea at Burke Hall is always one of the best of the year.
URL:https://apsoc.net.au/events/cooke-mcclelland-8k/
LOCATION:Burke Hall\, Studley Park Road\, Kew\, Victoria\, 3101\, Australia
CATEGORIES:APSOC,Old Xaverians
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