About us

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The Geelong Region Cross Country Team represents Geelong in the Athletics Victoria winter Cross Country & Road Racing (XCR) series. This is a 10 race series from April to September each year, that caters for all ages and all abilities. Races vary in distance from the 3.827km lap of the Tan to the Burnley Half Marathon and are held at different locations throughout Melbourne and regional Victoria. Geelong is currently the proud holder of the 10 mile cross country championship. This is the oldest race on the calendar having first been held in 1892. Whilst it can appear from a distance to cater mainly for the elite, the vast majority of runners participate on a very recreational level and enjoy the motivating team environment present at each and every race.

The Geelong Regional Team was formed in 1999 representing a combined team from Chilwell, Deakin, Geelong Guild, Bellarine & Corio Athletic Clubs. Each of these teams operates under the broad umbrella that is Geelong Athletics Inc. The combined team was created to unite Geelong athletes and to offer them the opportunity to represent their home town in statewide competition under the one banner. For the pure recreational runner, it provides a great chance to socialise and have a great run at a range of different venues. For the elite athlete, it provides the opportunity to compete against the best athletes in the country. It therefore also offers the elite athletes the unique opportunity of rubbing shoulders with the everyday weekend warrior!

See our XCR09 flyers: Men / Women

The Geelong Region Team has been a vital stepping stone for many of our athletes to go on to represent Geelong and Australia on the world stage, including:

Craig Mottram Olympic 5km runner (2000, 2004 and now 2008)
Lee Troop Olympic Marathon (2000, 2004 and now 2008)
Georgie Clarke Olympic 1500m runner (2000)
Louis Rowan Commonwealth Games 5km runner (2006)
World Cross Country Representatives - Darren Lynch, Richard Jeremiah and Tim Clarke.
Mark Tucker World Half Marathon Championships (2008)

The winning Geelong Region Division 1 Men's Team – April 19, 2008
(Andre LaGerche, Michael McNaughton, Colin Thornton, Craig Mottram, Lee Troop, Brett Coleman)

We currently have a very promising group of juniors who will undoubtedly form the backbone of the club in years to come and we hope to see our next future National Representative come from this group.

U’14 Girls Team – 3^rd Place – April 19, 2008
(Jmara Hockley-Samon, Darcie Verstraten, Claudia Verstraten)

The Geelong Region Team has enjoyed some tremendous successes in the past three years. The Senior Men’s Division 1 team (the highest level in the open age teams) finished 3^rd in 2006, 1^st in 2007 and 2^nd in 2008. Our 2007 win broke the 10 year winning streak held by Glenhuntly Athletics Club, the traditional powerhouse of distance running in Victoria. In 2008, a number of high profile runners including Lee Troop, Craig Mottram and Mark Tucker proudly ran with us to represent Geelong.

The Geelong Region Cross Country Team proudly winning the Div 1 Premiership Flag 2007

The Club also organises 2 local competitions where we compete against each other:

Geelong Road Championships (Deakin University) – April / May
Geelong Cross Country Championships (Eastern Gardens) – August

So if you’ve ever thought about joining a team for fun, for competition, for motivation or for any other reason, now’s the time to get in touch.

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