Crowds watched the finish of the O’Keefe Challenge running events on Sunday 1 May in Heathcote’s Barrack Reserve, as event runners arrived from the Marathon (42.195kms), Half Marathon, 10km Run, 5km Run/Walk, 1km Kids Dash and a 500m Superhero Kids Dash to cross the finish line. These events had increased numbers of entrants, and were designed to cater for all levels of fitness and experience.
All events celebrated fitness, natural environments, and the community spirit of the Heathcote region, while raising funds for the Heathcote Dementia Village Project. The O’Keefe Rail Trail was again considered an excellent route and running surface for the Marathon and Half Marathon events, with many runners achieving their personal bests.
The first placed Marathon male runner across the Barrack Reserve finish line was Jamie Cook (time 2:32:38) and the first female runner was Erchana Murray-Bartlett (time 3:15:35). The Half Marathon event saw male runner Andrew Carey (1:14:22) and female entrant Kimberly Egan (1:36:40) cross the finish line to loud applause. Full event results can be found at https://bit.ly/39ld2FQ. Event photos can be obtained from Marathon Event Photos of Bendigo.