GLEN INNES’ Matt Campion has continued with his winning ways in the athletics arena after taking out the Armidale Fun Run on Sunday.
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In a hotly contested field of 87 runners in the men’s 5km category, Campion finished 13 seconds clear of runner up Steven Chung.
Campion’s Armidale Athletics teammate finished in third place.
Of his run, Campion said he was happy with his overall result considering the windy conditions.
"I started off pretty easy, just cruising along,” he said.
"At the turnaround, I tried to push the pace a little and I was happy with it, to run sub-16 for five kilometres so pretty good, especially with the head wind to start off with.
"Stu was running and the guy who came second and was pushing me along.
"When the last kilometre came I got in front of him.”
The course ran from Harris Park towards the University of New England along the cycling tracks.
It was the second time Campion had competed in the run and said he enjoyed the pace of the race.
"It is definitely flat and fast, definitely a good course to run on,” he said.
"A little hill at the end is a bit tricky.
"Thanks to all the people who organised it.”
In the women’s 5km, another Armidale Athletics club member in Natasha Favotto took out the race ahead of Guyra’s Kelsie Youman.
Favotto won the race last year and said she was happy to grab the victory again despite being under-prepared.
"Personally I was surprised with it, I wasn't expecting to do too well because I haven't trained properly in a while but I ran with someone else and went well,” she said.
"I was pushed the whole way which was good because otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone as hard.
"It definitely not as good as the time last year, [I am] still happy with it.”
In the 10km men’s event, Tamworth’s Steven Ballantine crossed the line ahead of Bathurst’s Michael Conroy.
For Ballantine, it was his first time in the event.
He said he was shocked to get the win and will be back to contest next year’s run.
“[It was] quite a surprise,” he said.
“I was hoping to run around 42 minutes so to run quicker than that was pretty good.
“I started pretty slow so I was chasing until I took the lead.”
In the women’s, Jacqueline King was first with Angela Croll in second.
The 2km kids’ dash was a highlight of the day with nearly 60 young guns hitting the track.
Caleb Bettison crossed the line first in the boys’ race before George Schmude.
Chiyo Brown was the first girl over the line.