World-beaters Peter Hawes, Andrew Egginton, John Jago and Scott Lawrence at the new Lakeside track.
By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE athlete Andrew Egginton has run a personal best as part of a successful assault on the men’s 4 x 800 metre relay world record.
Egginton was part of a team pulled together by fellow Victorian runner Scott Lawrance, and including Peter Hawes from Queensland and John Jago from Tasmania, to beat the world record in the 50-54 year age group, held by America.
The team lined up at the new Lakeside running track at Albert Park on 27 November and wiped 1.3 seconds off the record with a time of 8.39.03.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have a world record against my name,” said the 50-year-old who is in his fourth season back on the track after ditching athletics for “girls, cars and other things” in his teens.
Each runner did two laps with Egginton enjoying the added satisfaction of running a personal best of 2.08.
This has been a successful year all round with Egginton winning the pentathlon, and placing second in the 800 metres individual race at the Australian Masters Athletics Championships in Queensland earlier this year in the 45-49 age group.
Egginton now ranks 21st in the world in the 800 metre.
Being part of a team has it’s own rewards, but Egginton said it has added pressures as well.
“Speed is one aspect in a relay, but you have to have all your senses about you, everything has to be right, your team-mate’s hand in the right position, not going too fast, and maintaining your nerve as you make the change,” he said. “It is very much about team-work.”
His advice to anyone contemplating taking up running, whatever the age, is “go for it”.
“Whatever level you take up, have a go. You never know what’s around the corner.”
In his case, what was around the corner at Lakeside on 27 November was a team-mate, hand out, waiting for the baton that would propel the team to World Record status.
