This year’s edition of Doncaster’s feature one-hour run event, The Sixty Minutes, has again provided a world record and two Victorian records.

Star distance runner Lavinia Petrie, 68, from Knox, ran 13.640km to add 234 metres to the world record she set in the same event three years ago.

The world record was the seventh set in the eight years The Sixty Minutes has been held. Victorian records went to Petrie’s daughter Julie Norney, 43, and Rob Schwerkolt, 45.

Norney took the W40-44 record with a distance of 15.101km while Schwerkolt recorded the longest distance in the field of 17 starters with 17.621km, which added just over 1km to the previous mark for the M45-49 age-group.

Petrie said after the event that it was her best run in ages.  This is graphically evidenced by the fact that she ran her first 10,000 metres in 44m 04s — ten seconds faster than the time she ran in winning over that distance at the recent World Championships in Sacramento, US.

‘I couldn’t believe I could run that time and just keep running,’ she said later. And not only did she ‘just keep running’ — she got faster with her last ten laps being run 13 seconds faster than her first ten.

Schwerkolt is best known as a middle distance runner, having won this year’s World Championship 1500 metres and the Australian Championship at 800. He attacked from the start and was on schedule to break the Australian record for much of the journey before faded slightly in the last few laps to miss out by 138 metres. It was nevertheless a remarkable performance from a runner who obviously is at his best over two or four laps as opposed to 44.

Doncaster’s home-track representatives turned in sound performances. Graham Walter, 53, exceeded his expectations in running 13.245km while Deidre Black, 62, running in her first distance event, covered a creditable 9.056km.

Petrie and Schwerkolt are both likely to be back for Doncaster’s feature event of the year, The Landy Trophy, scheduled for February 20 next year. Petrie has several Landy heat wins to her credit and is a former finalist while Schwerkolt will be making his Landy debut.

The Landy Trophy is run as a heats and final event from age-graded marks with heats of 200m and 1000m and a final of 400m, all on the one night.

Doncaster venue officials are particularly excited at the prospect of Schwerkolt’s appearance.

‘We’ve been after him for a long time,’ said venue manager Richard Trembath. ‘He’s a top line runner and will be almost unbeatable in his long heat. He’s only got to show any dash in his sprint heat to be a certain finalist and that would be great for the event.’

THE SIXTY MINUTES

Doncaster, September 26, 2011

COMPLETED DISTANCES

Steven BARKER                    M50                 15,427             

Deirdre BLACK                     W60                   9056              

Peter BLACK                         M55                 14,401             

Gerald BURKE                      M70                 DNF              

Ron CRACKNELL               M60                 11,900             

Peter DODGSHUN              M55                 12,883             

Simon EVANS                       M50                 DNF              

Jenny KISLER                       W35                 12,032             

Lynn KISLER                        W45                 12,021             

Tony LANGELAAN             M45                 DNF              

Julie NORNEY                     W40                 15,101 (VR)    

Annette PELGRIM               W55                 12,531             

Bert PELGRIM                     M55                 15,857             

Lavinia PETRIE                   W65                 13,640 (WR)   

Michelle ROSEVEAR           Inv.                   9321              

Robert SCHWERKOLT       M45                 17,621 (VR)    

Graham WALTER                  M50                 13,245