This year saw the fourth staging of this “Run for Runners”!
Previously a secret to a small group of runners, the course climbs and drops 1,060 metres in a series of mean sharp hills, most with names which define their characteristics.

Example hills: ”The Brute”, “The Mother” (a one kilometer plus slog up a real heartbreaker) and the “Double Whammy” which despite warnings still manages to produce groans when the second part comes into view.

The run which attracts a small field is run clockwise and anti-clockwise in alternate years and is followed by a BBQ (and a beer) for those who enjoy the post run de-brief.

Race Director Peter Hollis started the event after completing two “Six Foot Tracks” in Sydney’s Blue Mountains. He saw Pinnacles as having the same qualities as “6 Foot” without the longer distance or the big-event infrastructure. 

Trail runners love a challenge and his regular training route was an ideal place for a trail running event close to the city but very much in the bush.

 The support of Brisbane Road Runners Club was essential and the participants to a runner mentioned this. Brookfield runners are also acknowledged as the owners of this track.

Book it in for 2009!  Report by Peter Holles.

Name - Time - Order
Adrian Pearce - 1:34:49 - 1
Arnstein Prytz - 1:35:38 - 2
David Walken - 1:37:44 - 3
Stan Fetting - 1:42:18 - 4
Ian Powell - 1:44:37 - 5
Dennis Ferris - 1:48:59 - 6
Rachel Waugh - 1:53:03 - 7
John Butler - 1:53:23 - 8
Ashley Pruve - 1:54:18 - 9
Matt Fitzgerald - 1:56:47 - 10
Bec Stanton - 1:58:15 - 11
Linda Watson - 2:00:59 - 12
Glen Hendry - 2:01:14 - 13
Ying Gu - 2:01:45 - 14
Miles Crawford - 2:08:32 - 15
Peter Ferris - 2:08:32 - 16
Shane Horton - 2:12:41 - 17
Peter Davoren - 2:12:41 - 18
Mark Phillips - 2:12:53 - 19
Jo Bonney - 2:13:44 - 20
Corric Davet - 2:13:59 - 21
Nina Hughes - 2:19:47 - 22
Mallori McArthur - 2:23:19 - 23
Warren Lane - 2:24:40 - 24
David Hirids - 2:31:55 - 25
Karen Wiersma - 2:32:50 - 26
Ian Javes - 2:34:39 - 27
Audrey Harvey - 2:37:47 - 28
Francis Harvey - 2:37:47 - 29
Mary Jackson - 2:39:48 - 30
Johanna Field - 2:39:48 - 31
Melinda Pankhurst - 2:39:48 - 32
Annette Cubitt - 2:48:22 - 33
Anne-Marie Nash - 2:58:00 - 34
Robert Balthen - 2:58:00 - 35
Lisa Ferguson - 3:09:03 - 36
Joe Raftery - 3:09:03 - 37

Post-event comments from Coolrunning, giving a pretty fair idea of where the name Pinnacles comes from:

“What a wonderful place to run! So scenic- with the dew on the hills and the whip birds singing it was always going to be a great morning!

Suppose its not called Pinnicles for nothing, 1 after another the hills kept coming! All my hill training is finally paying off it seems- challenging course, but must admit i gained a great deal of confidence from it (only 2nd trail run) and have change my plan from 30k glasshouse next month to 50k. Thought id be struggling with flogged legs today- not to bad at all surprising.

Nice to meet you Twosheds and few other friendly runners during and after the race. Big thanks to Peter for organising and a very well marked course..

Anyone got a results list?? I know a new course record was set!”

Fitzy

“This one was just too damn hard for me. There should have been a warning label reading “requires training; should not be undertaken on a whim”. By the time I got to Mothers Mother and the series of mini mums I was adding a few more words to those titles. Hope there were no kiddies around – otherwise it would be me who needed the warning label!

Having said that, it was a lovely day out. The course was perfectly marked and whichever way you cut it, you had to work. Was glad it was clockwise to make the back half easier.  Thanks to Boon for not killing me and disposing of my body in order to stop my endless moaning and groaning. I hope he does go back and do it again soon . . . . I reckon he could reduce his time out there by a good hour.”

Vegie-girl

About the event:

A “runner’s run” according to organiser Peter Hollis, run very informally with the whole entry fee ($20) going to charity. Great hills training too. The race starts from the Gold Creek Reservoir at the end of scenic Gold Creek Road, Brookfield with the loop being run clockwise in 2008. Start time is 7:00 am - be there by 6:40 to get your entry organised. Contact: Peter Holles 0429 908 339, email: paholles@hotmail.com