Matilda Iglesias called on key elements of her limited race experience to score a clever win over rookie Richard Clarke in blustery conditions at Horsham Weir last Saturday.
In the eight kilometre Horsham Little Aths Handicap, Matilda, already a winner over 5 and 6.5 kilometres in just 18 months of racing, had a five second advantage over Clarke when the timekeeper said “go”.
“Richard overtook me pretty quickly but I thought he was going too fast too early – too fast for me anyway,” the Stawell photographer said.
The pair employed “cat and mouse” tactics for most of the race, Matilda wresting the lead back at the three kilometre mark but Richard again surging to a 20 metre advantage with about two kilometres to travel.
“It was at that stage that the headwind was really hitting us in the face and it was hard work trying to fight it so I tucked in behind Richard and let him do all the work.”
Saving her energy, Matilda overhauled her tiring rival after crossing the river for the last time and had enough in reserve to hold a narrow three second lead over the newcomer on the line.
Despite the “stoppable” conditions the “unstoppable” Meggy Boan recorded yet another PB, zooming into third place in a time of 36.03, which eclipsed her previous best by 42 seconds.
Thrilled at stripping her weight from 78 kilograms to 62 kilograms during her short stint at competitive running, Matilda has her sights set on running a half marathon in the near future as preparation for a long term goal.
“I have it in my mind to run from Halls Gap to Stawell and for me that seems more do-able than a full marathon and all the training and sacrifice that takes.”
As President of the Stawell 502 School Parents Club, the mum is keen to raise money for a charitable cause and the Halls Gap run is shaping as a means to do that.
In the Sub-junior section of the Little Aths race over 1.2 kilometres, Horsham’s Armani Scollary held on grimly to record 0.5 second win over the fast finishing Logan Casey with Atalia Chaplin the same margin away in third place in fastest time of 6.10 minutes.
By Keith Lofthouse