Nail Can royalty joins call to return Border race to original course

Pat Scammell has urged Albury Council to do it all can to move the Nail Can Hill Run back to its traditional ending at Hovell Tree Park, a move he said will make it "much better" for all involved.

Mr Scammell was on the start line for the very first Nail Can Hill Run in 1977 and won the race for the first time in 1985, before a dominant period through the 90s, which saw him take the title in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1996.

Only Jeremey Horne, who won the race seven times in eight years from 2001 to 2008, has more victories in the men's race, while Julie Gollan-Foard has the same amount of triumphs in the women's Nail Can.

The event has concluded at West Albury's Bonnie Doon Park since 2009 as the need to simultaneously close Pemberton Street and Padman Drive had become unmanageable.

"It's a great community event and I think it's spiritual home is to come back into Hovell Tree. I would just like to see the council take a serious look at it," he said.

"I think it'll make the event much better. It's had some decline numbers in recent times and I think if they get it back to where the council has done the complete redevelopment (riverside precinct), I think it'll be fantastic for the event.

"We're coming towards 50 years of running a continuous event. It's one of the great events we have in the area and it would be great to have it back into its traditional finishing place."

Cutting off traffic to Pemberton Street and Padman Drive was the primary concern from Albury Council when it moved the finish 15 years ago, but Mr Scammell hopes it can be reassessed.

"Moving it back down to Hovell Tree will certainly add to this event. All my finishes were there and that's its spiritual home," he said.

"It works OK over in West Albury, but the council has done a great job redeveloping stuff down at the Noreuil precinct there and it's just a perfect place to finish.

"There's plenty of space, there's barbecues for families and it'll make it a bigger event for us to be able to finish there that's for sure.

"We want to try and keep building the Nail Can Hill Run, which has got a great tradition coming towards 50 years. There's not many events around Australia that have been running continuously every year for nearly 50 years."

Mr Scammell thanked long-time organisers, the Rotary Club of Albury West, for looking at ways to grow the run.

"The Rotary club has done an outstanding job, managing the event and continuing to look at ways to grow the event, and I think this is a good initiative," he said.

"They have been innovative in how they've had half Nail Cans and opened it to bikes and all those sorts of things.

"We want it to continue on as a big family event and bringing it back to Noreuil makes lots of sense.

"There's some really good people on the council and they understand sport, they're involved in sport themselves, including the mayor (Kylie King). We hope that the council gives it a good hearing, because I think it's the ideal location for it."

Albury Council has been contacted for comment.

Former Albury resident Richard Welsh, who now resides in Hobart and is heavily involved in community runs through his role as company secretary of Australian Mass Participation Sport Events Alliance, commented on the massive industry road racing has become around the world.

"Essentially every city in the world has a major marathon, or a City2Surf, or equivalent. For Albury, that is the Nail Can Hill Run," he said.

"It's got a history that is important to the city. There's thousands over the years who have competed, watched, volunteered or worked on it.

"It's an important event and worth keeping the tradition going. But that tradition lies in the original course."

Mr Welsh, a former chief executive of World Athletics Cross Country Championships, and managing director of Epic Events and Marketing, placed third in the Nail Can Hill Run in 2003 when Olympian Steve Moneghetti broke the course record that still stands at 34.57.

"It was a great day for the city and the Australian distance running community were all talking about Albury that week," he said.

"Of course, there are reasons for road closures and course changes, I think it's worth sitting in a room and seeing if the previous course can still be an option.

"It might not be, but get the necessary people together and let's talk about it. If it's helpful, I'm of course happy to be in the meeting."

Moneghetti added a second Nail Can Hill run title to his name when he made his way back to the Border in 2019 to post a time of 41.37.