Athletics Australia – News – Maiden national titles for Brown, Delaney

Victorian Mitch Brown and Bridey Delaney of New South Wales have won their maiden national titles in the mud at Symmons Plains in Tasmania today at the 2013 Australian Cross Country Championships.
 
Brown took out the open men's 12km race with a thrilling final kick ahead of Ben Moreau of NSW and Tasmanian David Thomas.  He also helped Victoria win the men’s teams event.
 
“It feels really good.  This was a big focus this year, as I pulled back on a lot of the other racing in fun runs to give a more targeted approach here at national cross.  It’s always a big gamble to do that, because if things don’t go your way, then you’ve missed a few racing opportunities, but to get the win obviously it has paid off and I’m very happy," the IAAF World Cross Country representative said. 
 
“Ben and Dave did a lot of the work at the front of the pack and I raced the way I wanted to and I need to and sitting back was a big part of that and it worked well," Brown added.
 
It wasn't until the final 200m where Brown hit the lead and he did so with a lethal kick that would have outdone many of the greats.
 
“It felt like the last lap was the slowest which was a surprise, as it was also pretty comfortable up to halfway.  I thought there might have been a bit of a surge on the last lap and Ben did work a little bit harder up that hill, but then we all came back together.  After that no one really attacked it,” Brown said.
 
“The crowd was really getting into it on the last few turns and I had to keep a lid on it as I was getting pretty worked up and excited because I really did want to save it for that final stretch,” he added.
 
With plenty of rain during August and a fresh downfall on Thursday night, the course was well chopped up by the time competition got underway this morning.
 
“I really enjoyed the course.  I was a bit confused as to how to attack it, but the 9mm spikes ended up working a treat as it was nice and muddy out there.  It was a good honest cross country course I think.  There was nothing too technical and nothing too killer.  Being a bit windy I think suited me as it slowed the pace down and I was quite happy to just sit in during those slower sections," Brown said.
 
Having been in great form recently, Moreau was the early leader and did most of the front running throughout the race.  He was rewarded with the silver medal, ahead of the man who led 300m from the finish, David Thomas of Beechford. 
 
“This is the best race I’ve had of my life so far, bigger that any of my other performances,” Thomas said.
 
“I reckon I can win it next year or the year after.  I don’t want to be a bighead about it, but I back myself if I can train consistently in the next few years an get some speed into my legs, because that is my weakness.  Now I’ve got the fitness, I can work on my speed a bit more which will help me for races like this," Thomas added. 
 
Thomas's bronze medal was the first individual male open medal for a Tasmanian since Kent Raynor in 1978.  He also led a charge for the Tasmanian men's team who won the silver medal in the teams division.  The team of Doug Hamerlok, Josh Harris, Brian Lyons and Thomas going one better than the team in 2006 who won the bronze medal when the event was last held in Tasmania.
 
In the women's race, Delaney didn't hit the front until the final straight, unleashing her track speed to win in sensational fashion.
 
“I’m stoked,” Delaney said.  “I wouldn’t have picked this at the start of the year and I wouldn’t have picked this a few weeks ago either.  Here I am now as a national champion and I can’t believe it’s for cross country and not track.
 
“I just tried to keep in touch for as long as I could and I said to myself I just need to hurt for a little bit longer and I kept hanging in there.  I knew I had a kick and so I waited for the finishing straight and unleashed it," the 24-year-old said.
 
“Scott Westcott has done a great job of getting me aerobically fit as my coach and I really thank him for that," Delaney added.
 
Victorians Melissa Duncan and Tarli Bird won the minor medals in second and third place respectively.  Victoria took the women’s team event, ahead of New South Wales and Tasmania.
 
The day included around 1,000 participants from 10-year-olds right through to open divisions, from each state and territory around the country, plus New Zealand.  Full results from the day can be found at https://www.nswathletics.info/liveresults/2013/aa_cc/.  
 
Competition continues on Sunday with the Australian Race Walking Championships and School Sport Australia road relays.  

 Athletics Australia – News