DAYS away from the revamped King of the Mountain Running Festival and several local runners could be primed for success.
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The festival, on Sunday July 5 in Kangaroo Valley, now has more races for people to enter, giving all local runners more options.
The King, a 25 kilometre event will be held as normal, but a two kilometre run or walk and talk, a testing five kilometre run around the Kangaroo Valley golf course and a 10 kilometre run will also be held.
Local middle distance runners like Cristine Suffolk, Jye Edwards and Arron Spiessberger-Parker, who have all been in impressive form this season, will all challenge for podium honours.
Then we have the King.
Nowra Athletics Club member, Leith Babian, was the first local runner home last year and finished eighth in a time of 2.14.58 hours.
Babian, compared to this time last year, is not exactly full of confidence.
“I just haven’t got the miles in my legs as I did compared to this time last year,” he said.
Injuries meant a few months out and Babian was not back into back into running until March.
Babian, while not in peak form, is looking forward to the King.
“If you are a stamina runner this is the local race to be in,” he said.
He rated some of Nowra club members as ones to watch.
“I can’t catch Scott Martin at the moment so you should talk to him,” Babian said.
“I also find the guys like Kevyn Davis inspiring.”
Davis has missed one King of the Mountains in its 40 year history and is looking forward to Sunday’s event.
He knows he won’t win but this he will still be giving his all.
“I am after personal challenges and I also enjoy the comradeship between the other runners,” Davis said.
“If I was going to win I would have to start a week before everyone else and even then there would be doubts about me winning.”
Davis is known for running around local tracks without shoes but not even his tough feet can tackle the King.
“I wear shoes on the road,” he said.
The likes of Kim Waters, Angela Bond and Laura Babian are other local runner expected to shine.
Waters, last year, was the first local female home in a time of 3.10.18 and finished 98th overall, Bond was the next local female runner home in a time of 3.24.04 in 122nd place and Laura Babian finished in 140th place in a time of 3.40.13.
The race, last year, was won by Alex Matthews, from Turramurra in a time of 1.58.35.
Meanwhile, many elite runners have entered the event over the years.
Andrew Lloyd, a Commonwealth gold medalist is a past winner and he also ran under various aliases.
Heather Turland Commonwealth Games gold medalist from Bowral held the women’s record for a while and the late Kerryn McCann is also a past winner.
Olympian, the late Dave Power, holds the record for the first KOM which was held in 1966 in a time of 1.51 55.
Rob McDonald holds the record for a slightly different course 10 years later in 1976 in a time of 1.51.12.