Mountain Climbers from Near and Far . . . As reported in last Friday’s “Buloke Times”, the titles of King and Queen of the Wycheproof Mountain were retained by last year’s winners. Still the King is Stawell’s Tom Rodgers, while Boort’s Carly Isaac continues to reign as Queen. Our thanks to the photographers who provided the pictures for both last Friday and today.
The start of the girls’ mountain dash. - Photo by Laura Poyner.
Delilah Dartnell leading the way in the girls mountain dash. (Photo by Laura Poyner.)
Off to a good start in the Women’s 20kg Wheelbarrow relay. (Photo by Laura Poyner.)
The start of the Men’s 60kg Wheelbarrow relay. (Photo by Laura Poyner.)
A possible “Mountain Man” of the future, seven-year-old Max Coatsworth celebrated his participation in the Boys Dash as runners take off for the next climb to the top in last Saturday’s Riordan’s Wycheproof “King of the Mountain”. (Photo by Jenny Pollard.)
Members of the premiership-winning Wycheproof hockey team, left to right, Laura Harrison, Mary-Anne Pollard and Cassie Pardella, share a moment with two-year- old Ruby before setting off in the Women’s Wheelbarrow race. Fellow team member, Sarah Botheras was already in place for the relay event. (Photo by Jenny Pollard.)
Charlton was represented by the four-man Navies’ team in the Men’s Wheelbarrow race. Pictured left to right, Joe Durie, Patrick Soulsby, Henry Bourke and Tyler Catherine who placed second in the race. (Photo by Jenny Pollard.)
Perfect position for spectating, these two ladies out front of the church-come-residence in are Melissa Waylor on the left and Donna Cherry on the right. (Photo by Jodie Drake.)
The beginning of the Queen of the Mountain race, with women carrying 20kg of the Mallee's finest wheat to the top of Mt Wycheproof. (Photo by Jodie Drake.)
The beginning of the gruelling King of the Mountain race, with men carrying a whopping 60kg bag of the Mallee’s finest wheat to the top of Mt. Wycheproof. (Photo bt Jodie Drake).
The beginning of the boys’ Mountain Dash.
After competing in the boys’ mountain dash, left to right, Harry Humphreys, Angus Cowell and Max Fawcett all agreed, the steepest part of the last stretch was the hardest.
The beginning of the Men’s Masters Mountain Dash.
Changing over after the first leg of the Men’s Wheelbarrow relay race. Nully’s Lachlan Braine (second from right) expressed his fatigue, breathing heavily, bent over double saying, “Oh si!t!” Clearly describing the difficulty of pushing 60kg for even a short section of the course.
A view of the crowd assembled on Mount Wycheproof for the King of the Mountain event held Saturday, September 28.
The crowd support at the finish line lifted the spirits of those competing and all those bearing witness. The atmosphere atop Mount Wycheproof could lift the mountain itself, so for a day, the world’s smallest might feel like Mount Everest.
Carly Isaac approaches the last bend on the course during the Queen of the Mountain race, and lifted by the support of her cheer squad, even finds the strength to smile.
King of the Mountain, Tom Rodgers’s face shows the strain he was under as he neared the finish line, carrying a whopping 60kg of wheat over his shoulders, in a magnificent display of strength and endurance.
In a repeat of last year’s results, King of the Mountain Stawell’s Tom Rodgers (right) and runner-up Berriwillock’s Matt Hall (left).
Proving it’s not just for the young fellas, Traralgon’s Jim Stevenson (left) at 61 years of age and Kyabram’s John Russell (right, 59) congratulating each other for their successful completion of the taxing King of the Mount race.
Dimboola’s Darryl Wren looks far too pleased to have come last in the Masters Men’s Mountain Dash, but was simply thrilled to finish the race, no matter how long it took him. And he took time in choosing a shirt that appropriately reflected his sentiments, which says: “Exercise? I thought you said EXTRA FRIES!”
Fitness runs in the family: Representing Torney’s Gym St. Arnaud were the Campbells, left to right, Jaylah Campbell came third in the girls mountain dash, her father Colin was a part of Torney’s Fighting Fit Men’s winning relay team, while mum Mandy was in the respective Women’s winning relay team.
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Wycheproof King of the Mountain 2024
