A LAST-minute decision to take part in the Nail Can Hill Run has paid dividends for Michael Hosking.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Three times a runner up in the event, the Wodonga athlete finally nailed the hill and was the first of 1283 participants to cross the finish line in a time of 40:11.
“It feels pretty excellent,” Hosking said.
“I’ve come second three times before so it’s really good to finally get the win.
“Dad will be disappointed — he’s watched me come second every other time but the family’s in Canberra because they didn’t know I was running.
“But he’ll be happy I won.”
Preparation this time around was a little different, with the birth of son Blair five weeks ago providing distraction from the track.
“I really haven’t been running much,” Hosking said.
“I’ve had a bit of a run with the dog in the mornings and I’ve been playing footy with Howlong.
“It’s not best preparation but I managed to get there.
“In other years I’ve got pretty nervous and I don’t think I’ve run my best run.
“But I didn’t make a decision until about 8am (two hours before start time) so I didn’t have any thoughts running it at all — I was pretty relaxed and it went quite well.”
Hosking said conditions on the 11.3-kilometre run were made tough with a strong headwind producing slower times than previous years.
“The track was good but it was a bit of a slog,” he said.
Hosking conceded the absence of last year’s winner Jesse Featonby was motivation for running.
“It was one of the reasons I decided to show up this morning,” he said.
“I thought I might have a chance without him.”
Luke Preston finished second in 40:53.
Anthony Evans was close behind, coming third in 41:15.
A former Australian cross country skier and three-time Olympian, Evans has won the Nail Can Hill Run twice, first in 1987 and then in 1995, and made the trip from Jindabyne to take part this year.
After coming third, he then did the Half Can with daughters Zana, 10, and Abbey, 8.
VIDEO
PHOTOS
Click here for social photos from the event.
Click here for finish line photos from the event.
REPORTS
RESULTS
