Tradition is back, boots and all

“Different types of ‘gumboots’ have crept in to the race in recent years, so we’ve tightened the criteria,” said organising committee member Deanne Kennedy.

“We’re only allowing contestants to run wearing gumboots that are traditionally worn when working on the dairy farm.”

Race marshalls scrutinised the footwear of all entrants, intending to eliminate slimline, short-length, ankle and fashionable boots from the start line.

But some judicious promotion in the days prior to the race saw all gumboots comply with the entry code.

The prize pool for both the men’s and women’s races is $4000.

“It’s a very equitable race, because men and women race the same distances, on the same handicap starts, and receive the same prize money,” said Cliff Wallace, a member of Strzelecki Lions Club’s expo organising committee.

“The person who wins first place in each race receives $1500, with $300 and $200 awarded to second and third place,” he said.

“We’re fortunate that 17 expo sponsors contribute funds to support the prize money pool.”

The 120m handicap race has established itself as a standout event at the expo, with past winners including farmers, farm workers and triathletes.

The race handicap is based on age, with backmarkers aged 18 to 30 years starting on scratch.

Progressing by eight metres per decade of age, athletes aged 70-plus years old begin the race at the 80-metre mark.

Previous winners also receive a handicapped start, backmarked by 10 metres.

This year’s entrants turned up to race wearing everything from shorts, jeans and fit-wear to work trousers, flannelette shirts, T-shirts and hoodies. The only option missing was fancy-dress.

This year, 14 men entered the men’s race, and nine women contested the women’s race.

In the women’s race, Sarah Lewis sprinted hard from her start line to pass her competitors and take an early lead.

Sarah held on to her lead, and crossed the finish line first.

Sarah, from Leongatha, is a veteran of the race, and has contested it each time it has run since its inauguration in 2019. Sarah won the race in 2023 and 2022 and finished second last year.

Lauren Finger from Yannathan Heights was competing in her first race and started closest to the finish line.

She held on to second place for a long time after Sarah passed her, but was pipped into third place just before the finish line by a fast-finishing Abbie Hoiberg-Cox, from Warragul.

It was Abbie’s second time on the winners’ podium. She finished the race in third place in 2024 and improved that standing with a second place this year.

After the men’s race, they were all first-time racers on the podium.

Simon Finger of Yannathan Heights started in the middle of the field and had to run hard to clear himself from the rest of the pack.

He led the race from just over the halfway point and cleared the finish line with several metres spare.

Second place went to David Olsen from Drouin. David was caught at the back of the bunch for most of the race and had to negotiate his way around most of his fellow contestants in the final metres to cross the finish line into second place.

His final sprint to the finish line saw David holding his right hamstring after the race.

Third place went to Hayden Bull from Korumburra South after a close finish between himself and another competitor saw the organisers review the race using video footage from Worker Bee Drones to confirm the outcome.

Husband and wife and first-time competitors, Simon and Lauren Finger, said they ran for the challenge of the race.

Lauren said they donated their winning cheques to a local family who are dealing with the challenge of cancer treatment.

Video of both footraces is on the South Gippsland Dairy Expo facebook site at: https://www.facebook.com/sgdairyexpo

The veterans’ race was cancelled earlier in the day after the usual competitors experienced injuries prior to the start.