BLAZING sunshine and a tough headwind didn’t slow down the 800-plus field of runners for the third annual Pub 2 Pub event in Lancefield and Romsey on Sunday, with some sizzling times recorded across all distances.
Competitors came from far and wide to tackle the Federation Trail fun run which stretches from The 1860 in Romsey to the Lancefield Hotel for the official 7.5km Pub 2 Pub, or from Lancefield to Romsey and back to Lancefield for those more keen runners.
Race organisers Mitch Docker and Alex Gorman created the event back in 2024. Gorman owns both the pubs while Docker is a former professional cyclist and the host of the Life in the Peloton podcast.
Working hard as the MC for the day, Docker was over the moon about how things had turned out.
“The sun is out, this is sort of what we dreamed about,” he said.
“We started with 400 [in 2024], I was blown away. Last year we did 750, again I was like “woah, I can’t believe it”, and now we’re at capacity.”
Nearly 300 people contested the Pub 2 Pub 2 Pub, including 2011 Tour de France winner Cadel Evans and more than 400 took on the Pub 2 Pub.
Course records were set in three of the four races, headlined by an impressive battle in the men’s Pub 2 Pub 2 Pub 15km where four competitors dipped under the previous record mark.
The race was won by Owen Todd in an incredible time of 56 minutes and 52 seconds, while the next three runners finished within 15 seconds of one another, about a minute behind Todd.
In the women’s Pub 2 Pub 2 Pub, Sophie Parker just eclipsed Marni Fitzgerald’s 2025 record by two seconds, finishing in a time of 1 hour, 2 minutes and 47 seconds. Fitzgerald finished in second place two minutes behind.
Other winners for the day included Tyler Fynch (27:11, course record) and Rebecca Taylor (36:48) in the men’s and women’s 7.5km respectively.
Marni Fitzgerald
In the Junior Bolt, 117 kids took on the 1.5km track. Siena Keramaris improved her previous record by 35 seconds, finishing in seven minutes flat while Deon Swain, Sebastian Cavric and Marlow Docker all dipped below the boys record.
The Best Dressed award was given to a group of ‘Where’s Wally’ impersonators, who faced some stiff competition from Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
In an additional boost to the local running scene, the Lancefield Park parkrun track will receive an upgrade thanks to a $500 funding boost from the local Bendigo Bank branch.
Docker said commitments like this are important because events like the Pub 2 Pub are getting people out and about.
“The best thing about this is … it’s not a real elite race,” he said.
“Of course we’ve got people who go fast, but I think that’s the most attractive thing about it. Everyone just comes, runs, walks, jogs, whatever.”
