The halfway mark of the 2026 XCR season saw Team Yarra head west to a brand-new venue for the Road Relays at Calder Raceway. The fast and fierce course had competitors tackling not one, but two race circuits, with our open athletes racing 7.2km and our juniors taking on 3.6km.
All eyes were on our Men's Division 2 team, who came into the round sitting on top of the ladder. Tynan, Max, Pierce, Dan, James L and Harry formed a formidable squad but faced stiff competition all day from Geelong and South Melbourne. Tynan got the team off to a flying start, averaging an incredible 2:57/km to hand over in fourth, with the top four teams separated by just 10 seconds. Max, Pierce, Dan and James all produced strong runs to move the team into third heading into the final leg. Harry anchored the team brilliantly, sitting on South Melbourne until the closing stages before kicking clear to secure second place behind Geelong. A special shoutout to Tynan, who recorded the 11th fastest open men's time of the day. The boys remain on top of the Division 2 ladder, but with five rounds still to come, every point will be crucial.
Our Women's Division 2 team was once again locked in a close battle with Essendon. Liv got the girls off to the perfect start, changing over in first place, with the next Division 2 athlete over two minutes behind. Her outstanding run also earned her the 9th fastest women's time of the day. Grace showed she's in exceptional form, racing at 5km PB pace across the full 7.2km, proving she'll be one to watch in the second half of the season. Brig continued her breakout year, while Lily showed she's back to her best after an injury scare, bringing the team home in second, just 30 seconds behind Essendon.
A fantastic result sees the girls remain third overall. There were also some exciting returns and debuts in our Women's Division 3 team, with Bonnie and Becky making their comebacks from injury, while Susan and Brigid made their Team Yarra debuts as the team secured an impressive fifth place.
Our Men's Division 5 team continued to showcase the incredible depth within our men's squad. Luke, Sam A, Jack and Brinn stormed around the course to claim another Division 5 victory and extend their lead at the top of the ladder. A huge shoutout goes to Jack and Brinn, who stepped up from the Under 18 ranks to fill the Division 5 team. Still only under-18 athletes themselves, they more than held their own and proved they're two very exciting young talents. In Men's Division 7, Adrian returned from holidays to lead off, with Craig, Bryan and Michael combining for a strong fifth-place finish.
Our junior athletes also produced some outstanding performances. Bri stepped up into the Under 18 Women's team alongside Zoe and Tori, with the trio finishing fourth, just 30 seconds away from a medal. Ryder, Mitch and Blake continued their impressive season in the Under 18 Men's competition, placing fifth, with Ryder recording the 13th fastest junior men's time of the day. Our Under 16 boys fought hard to finish 12th, while the girls claimed sixth, with Maiya making her Team Yarra debut.
Congratulations to everyone who raced and represented the club so proudly. Stay tuned for our mid-season reviews as we take a look at how our teams are tracking against the best distance runners in the country. As always, if you're interested in joining Team Yarra, no matter your ability, we'd love to have you. We'll see you all in two weeks for the return to Bundoora Park.
Go Yarra 🤍💚💙
