THE Nail Can Hill Run is on course for a record field.
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Almost 1400 runners had entered the 36th annual event yesterday with race organisers expecting the number to go close to topping the 1673-mark set in 2008.
Defending champions Adam Byles and Ellie O’Kane won’t be running.
Byles is overseas, while O’Kane lives in Geelong and will be unable to defend her title due to netball commitments.
The men’s race appears wide open with John Winsbury, who was runner-up in 2010 and has three top-10 finishes, likely to be hard to beat.
Jarrod Mullavey finished third last year, while Luke Preston did well to claim fourth spot last year after having never ran the course.
After running well at the recent Beechworth Easter fun run, Ben Buckingham has claims along with James Ellis, Aaron Knight and John Kent.
In the women, Colleen Middleton should feature prominently.
She has been a regular top-three runner and took out the 50-age group at the Canberra marathon last month.
Kristin Murtagh looks a contender with a big preparation behind her on the hills, while Emma Thompson, Leah Wiseman, Lisa Ryan and Julie Gollan-Foard all have claims.
Many Age Masters, who have completed 10 or more age-buster runs, have also returned.
Leading the way will be Max Scherleitner who, with 35 runs, is the king of the event.
His achievements have been recognised with the Max Scherleitner Medal, awarded to five-time age busters.
Other age masters to enter again this year are Ian Spencer, Danny Cole and Barry Fitzpatrick.
In the Age Busters Challenge, introduced in 1992, a runner has to complete the course in a time lower than their age (or age plus 20 per cent for women).
