|
|
President’s Tan Talk – December 2025 NYE event and the January 2026 TTT
This year’s VRR New Year’s Eve Fun Run / Walk “had it all”: familiar faces of regular VRR Tan runners, returning past Members and Life Members we haven’t seen for a while and, as always, overseas visitors, this year from many places including Nashville Tennessee, Ireland, France, Hong Kong, Manilla, London, Maputo Mozambique, Budapest Hungary, and (more locally) Brisbane, Red Hill and Hastings. Add perfect weather, a beautiful setting (of course!), great catering, spot prizes, and a very relaxed holiday mood, captured in some great photos shown below. This year’s event was “on us”, which was much appreciated by our field of more than 80, and we thank the runners who kindly donated in the VRR blue bucket.
Many thanks to Helen Myall, our photographer who for once was captured in a photo, see below, and thanks also to Graham Prossor, also captured in a photo, for highlighting some interesting happenings recorded below. Check out the story on Leon Davis, who has progressed from being pushed around the Tan in a pusher by his mum Rebekah years ago, to now (aged just 10!) leaving Carl Kennedy in his wake in this year’s run, truly amazing!!
My thanks on your behalf to our VRR volunteers who make this and all our events possible, there was much appreciation expressed by runners. |
|
| The January Tan Time Trial was the first step towards earning a Tan Twelve Timer tee-shirt for 2026. Speaking of 2026 Tan Twelve Timer tee-shirts, when I picked up the 2025 tee-shirts I was surprised (shocked!) to find that they had mistakenly been printed as 2026, see photo!
I suggested to the printers that those tee-shirts were of no use to them, but were a fair chance to be of use to us this time next year. My offer to pay half price for them was accepted, and we purchased new ones for this year, which we provided to the Tan Twelve Timers on Saturday, congratulations to Kevin, Stephanie, Ian, Carl, Lynn, Marianne, Steve, Helen, Paris, Ross, Debra and Mick. (Those awardees have been encouraged to go again, but to try to remain the same size!!!) |
|
|
| It was great to welcome Tan regular Doug Wheeler back to the Tan, after recently having had a hip replacement. Welcome back, Doug.
A reminder that our modest subs are now due, see the note below.
We look forward to seeing you in February, we hope you all have a great 2026!
Michael Kennedy
VRR President |
|
|
| The photos below are just a few of the ones posted on facebook by the club photographer, Helen Myall (thanks heaps, Helen) |
|
|
|
December 2025 New Year’s Eve Photos
|
|
|
|
| Start of the December 2025 New Year’s Eve Fun Run/Walk |
|
|
In a first, VRR made the annual New Year’s Eve fun run/walk ‘On Us’ – a free event !!!
We don’t know if this attracted some of the participants (although many seemed pleasantly surprised when told that there was no entry fee) but regardless, the numbers were really good for a community based event like ours.
As usual, we attracted participants from all around Australia and the World. |
|
|
As a community based running club, our emphasis is more about participation than results, but sometimes there are results that are truly noteworthy.
10 yo Leon Davis absolutely blitzed the 4km course in 14.23 – that’s 3min 36 secs a kilometer!
We haven’t seen Leon in recent years (doing secret training?), but he has actually done about 12 TTT’s, although he probably wont remember them, as he was pushed around by his mother Rebekah Rogers in a stroller.
I suggest that you keep an eye out over the next few years for this name. |
|
|
It’s not often that we can get our photographer, Helen Myall out from behind the camera.
Here, somebody managed to convince her to have a photo with two of her grandchildren, Shane & Kelly Stray |
|
VRR Life member, Vin Martin (L) took the opportunity to catch up with us at the NYE event.
We haven’t seen him in ages.
Here he is with James Yatomi-Clarke (R) |
|
|
|
We took the opportunity to get a ‘Life Members’ photo.
L-R Michael Kennedy (Pres), Sally Browne, Vin Martin, Graham Prossor, Helen Myall, Doug Stokes & Lynn Kisler.
Looking at the list at the end of this email, you’ll see that we have a few more, but this was still a good number for the photo. |
|
|
As usual, we had spot prizes for the NYE participants.
Here Milana Dimitrovici receives a prize from club president, Michael Kennedy. |
|
Every year, Sally Browne does a superb job of catering for the NYE event. How would you like to cater for a party, not knowing how many people were going to turn up?
But, as usual, Sally took it all in her stride and Sally, we are really, really grateful for your efforts. |
|
|
December 2025 NYE Results
|
|
|
|
Start of the January 2026 TTT
– all the 2026 12TTT entrants !!! and all had PB’s for the year !!! |
|
|
It was terrific to welcome VRR member, Doug Wheeler back to the Tan.
Doug had a hip replacement only about six weeks ago! |
|
| VRR member, Debra Robb is one of our ‘quiet achievers’ – turns up every month and does her 8km and then participates in the post event discussions.. |
|
|
|
| VRR member, Cynthia Ellery is another very welcome, regular participant. |
|
| Arlo Mykyta is a new participant and one that we hope we will continue to see into the future. |
|
In what might be another first. The 2025 12 Tan Time t-shirts were ready for presentation at the January 2026 event.
Congratulations to that small band of members who achieved the target and well done Michael Kennedy in arranging the printing etc. |
|
|
| 2026 MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
A friendly reminder that fees for 2026 are now due.
VRR charges a nominal membership fee as it does not receive any sponsorship but needs to cover such costs as public liability insurance (~$1,200), tea and coffee for Tans, 12 TTT and milestone tee-shirts, plaques for milestones and trophies. The Blue Bucket at the Tan for voluntary donations also helps to cover costs.The membership fee for 2026 is unchanged at $20 for individuals, $10 for juniors, $40 for families (2 adults plus all children) with country members (greater than 100k from the GPO) half of these fees. Junior members are those aged under 18 years as at 1 January 2026.
Payment via EFT is preferred, to:
VRR
Westpac
BSB 033-034
A/c 628622
Please include your full name and membership number in the reference field.
For completeness, please also send a confirmation email with the subject “VRR Membership Renewal” with your details to vrrcontact@gmail.com.
Alternatively, you can pay by cash (no cheques!) in a sealed envelope with your name and membership number at the Tan and pass it to me or one of the Committee. If you need one, a membership form is available at www.vrr.org.au/membership/.
See you at the Tan!
Many thanks and happy running
Rowan Cole – VRR treasurer |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
VRR LIFE MEMBERS
Stephen Barker, Kevin Browne*, Sally Browne, Tony Doran, Graham Edwards, Jenny Field, Peter Field, Vern Gerlach*, Peter Gunn*, Don Hampshire*, Eileen Helmers*, Frank Helmers*, Betty Horskins, Graeme Horskins, Mike Kennedy, Lynn Kisler, Greig McEwan, Ross Martin*, Vin Martin, John Morris, Helen Myall, Peter Nicoll*, Bill Noonan, Brian O’Dea, Rod Opie, Graham Prossor, Melissa Groves, Doug Stokes, Brian Toomey*, Stuart White, Robert Wilson, Judy Wines*, Tom Worrell* and Val Worrell.
(* dec) |
|
|
|
|
Can you ask your running friends if they are receiving their email copy of Stride Out.
If they aren’t, can you get them to send me an email (gprossor@bigpond.net.au) asking to be put on the distribution list. |
|
|
|
|
|
