Award presentation:
 IAAF Gala Dinner, Monaco, Friday 21-Nov-2014
Qualifying period 2014:
 27 October 2013 to 31 August 2014
Nominated by:
 Oceania Masters Athletics
Category:
  Masters athlete 35 years and over

Born in England in 1943 Lavinia’s competitive athletic career started in England at 16, when she joined Houghton Harriers. Through the local competition she met and later married Bob Petrie of Sunderland AC in 1963 and athletics has been an integral part of their lifestyle since!

Migrating to Australia in 1966 with husband Bob and their first daughter June (2) they quickly became a part of the Australian running scene. They have both made an outstanding contribution to athletics in Australia making their mark in both Open and Masters Athletics.

In 1966 Lavinia joined Ringwood Athletic Club and continues to compete for them today 48 years on. She is also one of the original members of Masters Athletics in Australia.

In the English tradition, Lavinia starred at Cross Country and became Australian Cross Country Champion in 1973. She represented her State of Victoria at the National Cross Country Championships for over 10 years placing regularly and missing only the years when her second daughter Julie (1968) and son Rob (1970) were born. Running has been a family affair for the Petrie’s and when Lavinia and Bob went away for a competition the children would go and they would often camp with other athletic families.

A pioneer of women’s distance running in Australia Lavinia has a long history of setting records from 1500m to 100 kilometres over her 48 years of competition in Australia. She was a member and Captain of the first Australian team to the World Cross Country Championships (1975) and after stepping up to ultramarathon distances of 50km, 50 miles and 100km in 1991 was a member of the first Australian team to the World 100km Road Championships (1993). In another history making moment Lavinia won the inaugural Victorian Women’s Marathon Championship first held in 1981 and recalls a condition of entry was that all competitors had to undergo a medical examination before the start of the race.

At a Masters International level Lavinia has been a regular competitor and Gold Medal winner in her age group at Oceania Masters Regional Championships and at the World Masters Championships in Gateshead, England (1999) and Sacramento, USA (2011).

Lavinia Petrie is a household name in Australian running circles and since turning 70 Lavinia has been on a record breaking run. Over the last year Lavinia has been rewriting the record books locally, nationally and internationally setting multiple world records for her age group across middle and long distances and in some cases ‘twice in a year’.

In January 2014 at the Oceania Masters Regional Championships Lavinia set world records for the 3,000m and the 10,000m on the same day, and also set a world best time for the half marathon in the same competition.

Two months later she lowered her World Record for the 10,000m time by another 45.46 seconds. As with the 10,000m she has also broken her World Record for the 5,000m twice in the past year.

Lavinia is not only a formidable competitor she is a dedicated and well respected official and administrator across all platforms of the Australian athletics scene from her local Ringwood Athletic Club to Victorian Masters, Australian Masters, Athletics Victoria and Athletics Australia. She is a qualified coach and a qualified official. Her services to athletics have been recognised ‘off the field’ with Lavinia being awarded Life Memberships of the Ringwood Athletic Club and Victorian Masters Athletics. Lavinia also successfully juggled her sporting commitments with full time employment, retiring from the workforce in 2008 at 65.

Daughters June and Julie (Norney) have followed in mum’s footsteps successful athletes in their own right, whilst Rob has settled on golf. Husband and coach Bob passed away in 2000.

From starting her competitive athletic career in England in 1959, and then Australia in 1966 Lavinia is still competing and setting records over 50 years later!

At a youthful 71 Lavinia Petrie is our 2014 IAAF Female Master Athlete an incredible achievement brought about by some extraordinary running performances over the past 12 months!

Lavinia’s award winning performances:

3,000m 13.07.79 World Record W70-74 24-01-14
5,000m 21.34.08 World Record W70-74 09-03-14
10,000m 44.43.27 World Record W70-74 08-03-14
½ marathon 1hr.37.38 World Best W70-74 25-01-14
1hr Track 13,044m World Best W70-74 *23-09-13
*set since turning 70 however outside of the qualifying period

1500m 6.05.99 Australian Record W70-74 10-01-14
Mile 6.33.96 Australian Record W70-74 31-03-14

Competitions included:
 Oceania Masters Regional Championships, Bendigo Australia
 Australian Masters Track and Field Championships, Hobart Australia
 Australian Masters ½ Marathon Championships
 Victorian Masters Track and Field Championships
 Victorian Masters Road and Cross Country Championships – various venues
 Athletics Victoria Road and Cross Country Championships – various venues
 Athletics Victoria Country Track and Field Championships

Footnote:
Lavinia also still holds three World Best Performances set in previous years.

Road 50km 3.41.57 World Best Performance W50-54 10-04-94
Track 50km 3.50.15 World Best Performance W50-54 24-10-93
1hr Track 13,823m World Best Performance W60-64 2003

Lavinia currently holds a total of 8 World Records or World Best Performances