More than 600 runners braced the chilly conditions during Saturday’s Surf Coast Trail Marathon.

Event organiser Chris Ord said the near-solstice timing of the marathon usually provides wild weather conditions, but this year’s event provided reserved conditions to participants.

“The event has a reputation for some wild weather and big swell tides to contend with,” Ord said.

Men’s marathon winner Mathieu Dore, from Albury, NSW, threatened the course record of 2:51:17 with record pace splits early on.

The notorious 3.5km stretch of Urquharts Beach and its high tide soft sand forced the lactic acid brakes on a little however, Dore eventually winning in a time of 3:12:30.

Daniel Loughnan from St Kilda was hot on his heels in second place, barely a minute behind crossing in 3:13:32.

Newtown resident James Ralph from Geelong managed third place, a further 10 minutes back in 3:23:03.

In the women’s marathon, Moama-based runner Rebecca Cladingboel stormed home comfortably in 4:00:21 to take home line honours, followed 11 minutes later by Sally Theobold from Trafalgar (Vic) in second (4:11:32) and Karen Moir from Hawthorn in a close third (4:12:12).

Team Heatcool Today’s Shaun Mooreand Brad Rindfleisch won the Teams Marathon in a time of 3:33:16 with Team Tez n Flash’s William Kiel and Nicholas Waters in second (3:47:58) and mixed team Kanga Kanga Kanga, Claudia Higgins and Max Mills, in third (3:48:22)

Surf Coast Times story here.

Image: Runners had to traverse Torquay, Bells Beach, Anglesea and Sunnymeade beaches. Photo: THE EVENTURERS