Burnie Gift 2008

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Just returned from Burnie and so here’s a run down of the results.

There were 5 heats - athletes’ marks were returned to what they were before Josh Ross was palced in the field. Warm sunny day, about 28-30 degrees with a slight breeze that shifted around during the day.

HEAT 1
Darren Rogers (5.25) started well and drew along side Matt Stewart (7.50) and Mark Nichols (8.25) and looked to have them covered but struggled to run out the journey. Stewart won from Nicholls and Rogers in 13.46s. (W: -2.6). Rogers suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw from the semis.

HEAT 2
Craig Brown (4.00) started well and ranged up to Andrew Howell (7.50) and Cameron Yorke (8.00) before passing them comfortably and held them to the line in 13.10s. (Missed the wind reading) Brown 1st, Yorke 2nd and Howell 3rd. Craig Brown was pulled 0.25m for accumulating prizemoney at Latrobe & Devonport with his finals and placings.

HEAT 3
The unknown smokey of the Burnie Gift emerged in the form of Victorian amateur Liam Sheppard (8.00m) who ‘smoked’ them early and won by 2m from Daniel Sammut (9.50) and Adrian Mott (2.50) a close up 3rd. Mott was penalised 0.75m for his 2nd to Hargreaves in the Latrobe Gift. Sheppard won in 12.84s (w: -1.9). Soon after the heats Sheppard was called up by the stewards, I guess to explain how an unknown with little or no form could run so impressively off 8.00m. No-one seemed to know anything about him. The discussion didn’t appear to go on for long as the handicapper seemed satisfied enough. Apparently Sheppard runs at Coburg amateurs with Gary Hennessy.

HEAT 4
Only 3 runners fronted for the fourth heat, with all 3 advancing to the semis. Hence a comfortable run for Ryan O’Halloran (12.00), winning in 13.46s (w: -3.6) from Brice Johnson (6.50) and Joel Morrison (10.00).

HEAT 5
Clearly the most anticipated with 4 good chances going head to head. Matt Hargreaves’ Latrobe Gift win saw his mark reduced from 8.25m to 5.75m. Hargreaves got the best of the start but was soon passed by Duncan Tippins (5.25) who reeled in Luke Whitney (7.00) quicker then we thought he would. Ben Englund ran strongly through out and surprisingly held 2nd comfortably from Whitney and Hargreaves. Tippins won by about 1.5m in 12.88s (w: -1.9). Luke Whitney was pulled from 7.50m to 7.00m for winning the Devonport 200m.

Hargreaves qualified for the semis as one of the faster non placegetters, with Scott Bailey and Tim Potter.

SEMI 1
Mott 2.50
Hargreaves 5.75
Howell 7.50
Sheppard 8.00
Bailey 8.50
Potter 12.00

Great start from Mott and he was soon past Hargreaves and Howell. He seemed to catch Sheppard but couldn’t quite get past, missing by a half metre. Hargreaves ran on well for 3rd. Sheppard and Mott advanced to the final in 12.44s (w: +1.3).

SEMI 2
Rogers 5.25 (out due to injury)
Johnson 6.50
Whitney 7.00
Yorke 8.00
Sammut 9.50
Englund 12.0

Battle of the 2 frontmarkers with Sammut ranging along side Englund by the 100m mark, but Englund finishing slightly stronger in 12.50s (w: +0.8). Whitney finished 3rd.

SEMI 3
Brown 4.00
Tippins 5.25
Stewart 7.50
Nichols 8.25
Morrison 10.0
O’Halloran 12.0

Brown started the better and got within 1/4m of Tippins before Tippins pulled away towards the finish winning by 1.5m. O’Halloran finished 3rd. Time was the slowest of the 3 semis in 12.52 (w: -0.3)

Whilst Sheppard had run the fastest heat and semi, the adjusted semi times indicated there was nothing between Sheppard and Tippins. (both with 12.50 adj). Pretty close between all of them and anyone of the 6 runners could have won.

FINAL
RED Adrian Mott (VIC) 2.50m
WHITE Craig Brown (VIC) 4.00m
BLUE Duncan Tippins (SA) 5.25m
YELLOW Liam Sheppard (VIC) 8.00m
GREEN Dan Sammut (NSW) 9.50m
PINK Ben Englund (TAS) 12.00m

Clean start with no one runner starting any better than the rest. Mott was brought along by Brown and they were soon not far behind Tippins. Sheppard got on terms with Sammut and looked to be hauling in Englund. At the 80m mark it appeared there was almost a line across the track. Slowly Tippins emerged from the pack with Sheppard and by the 110m Tippins looked to be holding them. On the line Tippins by 1/2m from Sheppard who was only inches in front of Englund 3rd, Brown 4th, Mott 5th and Sammut 6th. Time was 12.35s. (I think? or did he say 12.34)

Despite only 27 runners fronting for the heats, we ended up with a classic final. Two class backmarkers, the smokey in the middle, a well performed frontmarker in Sammut, the Tassie hope in Englund and the 32 year old vet looking to finally put behind him a few heart breaking efforts in big races. Great race and great result. Duncan Tippins became the first South Aussie to win Tassie’s biggest Gift.

Duncan won $11,000 first prize. unfortunately due to the small numbers there was no calcutta this year meaning we couldn’t back Tippins.

As someone who has visited many Burnie carnivals since my first trip there in 1981, it was great to be finally involved with the Gift winner and get to take home the wonderful trainer’s trophy, sponsored by 1945 Burnie Gift winner, Ray Geary.

For those who don’t know much about pro-running. There are 3 ‘grand slam’ races - Stawell Gift, Bay Sheffield and Burnie. Win one of those and you have your name etched into pro-running history. Dean Capobianco is the only runner in history to win all 3. But the record for the most number of grand slams is Joshua Ross who has won Stawell twice and Burnie twice.

IN OTHER RESULTS -
The women’s Gift was won by Olivia Mills (10.50) from Danielle Taylor (5.25) and Morgan Whiley (2.75), in a slick 13.68.

Rob Garland won the 400m in a photo finish from Andrew Howell.

Matt Stewart won the invitation backmarkers in another very close finish from Matt Hargreaves.

National 1500m champion Lachlan Chisholm won the Burnie mile, easily, taking the lead with 250m to go. Victorian Lachlan Carter was 2nd with Sam Fergusson, the winner of the past two Burnie miles in 3rd place.

The 90m maiden was won by impressively named Burnie local Maverick Weller.

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http://nwtasmania.yourguide.com.au/viewimage.asp?id=400597

THAT’S IT, I’M DONE! 2008 Burnie Gift winner to quit while he’s ahead
By ANGUS LIVINGSTON
Burnie Advocate
02 January 2008

IT WAS a career-ending “dream come true” for Duncan Tippins in last night’s Burnie Gift.

The 32-year-old punched the air as he crossed the line for his first ever win in a major race.
Tippins, who ran off 5.25m, had competed at Stawell and Bay Sheffield without success, and had never been able to make it Burnie.

“I’m feeling awesome,” a clearly elated Tippins said.

"I’ve been running in professional athletics in South Australia and Victoria for 10 to 11 years.

“This is a dream come true.”

The South Australian said his wife Deborah was pregnant and due to give birth in June, which meant he was unlikely to be able to continue his running career.

“She’s been supporting me for years,” he said.

“(It’s good) to finally reward her with a win like this.”

Tippins - who turns 33 in 17 days - said he was pleased to beat a talented field, which included Stawell Gift winner Adrian Mott and 2001 Burnie Gift Craig Brown.

“I’d been tempted to come down many times before,” he said.

“But because I’m South Australian the focus has been on Bay Sheffield.”

He said having won the Burnie Gift it was time for him to hang up the boots - probably.

“I’ll never say never because I’ve retired once before,” he said.

“(But) my wife is pregnant, and I won’t be able to compete (how I’d like to).”

Liam Shepherd finished second, while Burnie’s Ben Englund was third.

Hometown boy Englund said the third-placing was the best result of his career.

“For sure. I got a win at Hobart last year, but ever since then things have been pretty quiet,” he said.

Englund said he had been focusing on getting his body and technique right for this time of year, and it had paid off.

He missed out on making the Latrobe Gift final by 1/100th of a second to Adrian Mott - the man he pipped for third last night.

The Gift capped off a great night for the Burnie Carnival.

Hot weather and a large crowd of 4000 brought an atmosphere to the event, while the athletes and cyclists impressed in the heated conditions.

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Great report Youngy.

It felt like I was actually there!

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agreed.

what did you mean by There were 5 heats - athletes’ marks were returned to what they were before Josh Ross was palced in the field.
 did Josh run? :confused:

I’m guessing Sheppard wont be able to sneak through again.

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There is a nice article on Youngy in today’s Examiner written by Brian Roe. Well I hop it is about Youngy.

Well done.

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No he didn’t run

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State runners hoped to excel
by Brian Roe At The Carnivals
The Examiner (Northern Tasmania)
January 2nd 2008

There are a few people in the sport who better understand the athletics of today than coach Paul Young.

The former Stawell Gift winner trains a big group of athletes in Adelaide and enthusiastically embraces both the old professional running code, through which he emerged as an athlete, and the mainstream form of the game.

He guides his athletes well in every facet of the game, including a sense of respect for what is important in the sport.

Young has been to Burnie a dozen times, both as an athlete and coach, because he believes any runner or trainer who is serious about professional running should do so.

Until yesterday each of those visits had been fruitless until Duncan Tippens moved the stable’s ledger well into the black by winning the Burnie Gift.

The 32 year-old who is expecting the birth of his first child with wife Deborah in June, said this would more than likely be his last year of athletics.

Which makes the last week quite dramatic.

After his victory, Tippens said there were three races everyone wanted to win in pro athletics - Stawell, the Bay Sheffield and Burnie.

Six days ago, he had the chance to win his home-town leg of his big three, the Bay, but false-started and was penalised a metre in a race that was eventually decided by less than that.

That win was perhaps a more realistic expectation than yesterday’s triumph but Burnie’s $11,000 winner’s cheque and a sash from another of that big three would have been a more than satisfactory consolation prize.

Sadly, the Young mantra so wisely followed by Tippens does not seem to have been taken up by many others. Yesterday’s Gift heats had the poorest entry, 35 and number of actual starters, 27 since the war years of the 1940’s.

It is a scenario that requires immediate attention and action across the board. The reasons are many, the solutions probably equally numerous.

The motivation that brought Duncan Tippens to Burnie to fulfil a career dream is too special to be allowed to drift into the obscurity of history. It has been special for thousands of athletes over a period of 121 years.

It should be special for generations to come. It’s too hard to start these sorts of traditions from scratch. Never again should we allow there to be fewer than 10 heats of this wonderful race.

Tippens paid an appropriate acknowledgment to the contribution his wife had made, a a theme that had resounded through the victories of the evening.

It is fair to say, Brian and I did not exactly see eye to eye 16 years ago when I first got to know him, but that has evolved into a mutual respect for the way we go about our different roles within the sport. His article was much appreciated.

(btw, It is actually Duncan Tippins…the TAL misspelt the name in the program)

Josh Ross did not run, so the handicaps reverted back to what they were before Josh was granted a late entry, which for most athletes was a 1.50m reduction. ie: Tippins ran from 5.25m yesterday, whereas had Ross run, he would have run from 6.75m.

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Youngy Well done.

I have to concur about Brian, I have had issues (through a training partner) and don’t always agree with him, but I have a reasonable working relationship with him in my professional capacity.

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excuse my ignorance but why the low entries? Is that indicative of pro running in general or is it a specific Tasie issue?

From what I know of Aus, Tasie is treated as the poor cousin so guessing a few wouldn’t travel there simply because it isn’t the Mainland…true? :confused:

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John,

The decline in entries is caused by a number of factors, but I think the most important of those is the decline of the big pro-running stables from yesteryear. Like most pro running states, Tassie use to have several big stables that provided a steady flow and production line of new runners to the sport. as the old trainers died off or retired, there have not been many to take up the mantle.

When I went to Tassie in the 80’s, there were trainers with good solid stables - Ted Eagling, John McLaren, Jack Propsting, Ray Patmore, Ray Quarrell, John McGuire, others run by Billings, Berwick, Saltmarsh etc. Now very few remain and those that do remain struggle to attract the numbers they once had.

There’s also a variety of other sports now attracting athletes away as well as a host of other activities the youth of today seem to prefer to running.

It seems the attraction and almost obsession northern Tassie youths use to have for wanting to be a Burnie Gift winner is not as compelling as it one was. Maybe there are not the role models there once was with a Burnie Gift - those who inspired others with the desire to win such a prestigious race.

I know after my first visit in 1981, I was so captivated by it that I had a deep desire to one day either win Burnie myself as an athlete or coach a winner. Both of my former coaches trained Burnie Gift winners and I wanted to be on that roll of honour along side them.

There really is a niche in northern Tassie for a bright young, enthusiastic accomplished coach to develop a stable and train them up for the Tassie pro running circuit.

Speaking to a former Tassie athlete and coach he made a good point that the number of meets and concentration on the Christmas-New year period limits the opportunities for Tassie athletes…perhaps a more structured season where there are some better prize money races offered through a 3 month period rather than 4 to 5 weeks.

The same issues affect Victoria - no longer the number of big stables, athletes not wanting to win Burnie like they use to and the fact athletes aren’t interested in spending the money to travel unless there’s a good chance of a return. The coaches that genuinely supported Burnie are not around any more. Only one or two are left.

Whatever the cause, the decline is significant - in Burnie’s 100th year in 1987 there were 132 entries in the Burnie Gift.

Starters in the Burnie Gift last 12 years -
1997 - 97
1998 - 95
1999 - 94
2000 - (Not Known)
2001 - 60
2002 - 63
2003 - Carnival abandoned due to rain
2004 - 66
2005 - 56
2006 - 52
2007 - 35
2008 - 27

I remember when there were 15 heats and 6 semis. It was tough to get to the final. I hope Brian Roe gets his wish and we quickly return to the days of double figure heats.

One thing is for sure - Duncan Tippins won’t be the last time I have a ‘goer’ in the Burnie Gift…now I’ve had a taste, I want another one!

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Youngy,
thanks for the detailed post. Do many compete as both amateur and pro runners? Or does that just not happen? I’ve seen you mention a few top guys and women who have but what about the rank and file club runner who competes for fun? Surely they would view it as a bit of fun? Or is that just my naivety? :rolleyes:

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Youngy, well done on your success. Hope the bookies took a hammering!

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Ontheball,

Thanks for that.

There is no betting on the Burnie Gift.

There use to be a calcutta and I remember when athletes were being sold for nearly $1000 and the pool was well over $6000.

Due to the decline in numbers, the calcutta has also dropped off and the last one was in 2006. There was hardly any money in it, so the Burnie Athletic Club decided to not go ahead with it after that.

It’s a pity because we had won the Bay Sheffield Calcutta in Adelaide (buying the winner, albeit an athlete from a rival stable) and I was cashed up to spend what ever I had to, to buy Duncan Tippins in the Calcutta. But that’s the way it goes…

Hopefully there’s a revival in interest next year.

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John Wrote: “Youngy,
thanks for the detailed post. Do many compete as both amateur and pro runners? Or does that just not happen? I’ve seen you mention a few top guys and women who have but what about the rank and file club runner who competes for fun? Surely they would view it as a bit of fun? Or is that just my naivety?”

Most of my athletes compete both amateur and in the pro ranks, with several who prefer to run pro only. My pro runners are not in it primarily for the fun aspect, although enjoying the competition, the challenge and being part of a good successful stable does have its element of fun.

My pro runners train seriously for up to 48 weeks of the year to be the best runners they can be, regardless of natural talent. We plan and prepare as well as any elite athlete, given the strategies required to be successful in the major races. It is a serious business and there are big money races to be won, if you know what you are doing.

Too much time, energy and money is invested for this to be treated as some sort of “fun run” experiece. Athletes who don’t want to do the work to succeed don’t last long…with me anyway.

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I think he was asking if amatuer runners saw the pro races as fun. Of course I could be misinturpeting that.

So… in your eyes, for what reasons do amatuer runners participate in the pro runs? Change of pace/something different, quality Speed Endurance work, $$$, other?

Pro running is non existent in America, so i’m asking questions about the cross over between the two ranks

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1- $$$$$

2- Chance to get multiple races in one day. Without the impact of synthetic.

Pro- Runners have different incentives

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Good point d nasty,

Yeah, I reckon the majority of amateur based athletes see the pro running as a training exercise and a potential source of funding. They are also attracted by the concentration on track events with the different coloured singlets, silks and having a race caller describe the action. I guess it is a fun thing for them and is a different form of competition where they can enjoy the atmosphere that they don’t get at most amateur meets in Australia.

Most amateur based athletes certainly would not take it anywhere near as serious as those involved on a regular basis. If they win something its a bonus, but primarily its a form of training for them.

As Sharmer says the idea of running multiple races on grass appeals to some amateur athletes as it can help them fast track their race condition and they can pick up some cash along the way.

I think some of our elite athletes are missing out on opportunities to assist their all round competitiveness by not having a go on the pro circuit.

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Youngy,
d_nasty was correct I wasn’t meaning a fun run frolic and giggle I was meaning a change of scenery and atmosphere like you posted above.

FYI Chris Donaldson (Melbourne CWG relay and tied for 1st at last years Nationals) is running at Wanganui, not sure if his choice or a sponsors invite. I get the impression entries may be a bit light.

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In recent times Pro- running has produced Joshua Ross 10.08. But also Daniel Burgess ran his first 100 10.4e this year. I think Burgess will run 10.2 this year & possible 10.1s in the future. If he ran Amateurs earlier I don’t think he would have the solid base behind him to launch into the 100m on synthetic. Maybe in light of what these two will do more of the elite will have a go.

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Originally posted by John

Youngy,
d_nasty was correct I wasn’t meaning a fun run frolic and giggle I was meaning a change of scenery and atmosphere like you posted above.

FYI Chris Donaldson (Melbourne CWG relay and tied for 1st at last years Nationals) is running at Wanganui, not sure if his choice or a sponsors invite. I get the impression entries may be a bit light.

I believe the entries are not good for Wanganui with only about 50 athletes (across all events) entered. I believe there are not many New Zealanders entered. It was promoted over the PA by the race caller at Burnie.

Entries have been left open for another week to try to drum up some more.