WILY veteran Keith Lofthouse travelled to Stawell's Big Hill last Saturday with some confidence that he could finish the Stawell Amateur Athletic Club season with a third win.
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Then world class ultra-marathon runner Kieran Ryan, more than half his age and more than twice his speed, arrived just five minutes before the start of the five kilometre Ivan McDonald Handicap and his expectations imploded.
"It was a hot day and I thought to myself, ah well, no shame in running second to Kieran," Lofthouse said.
"Then I saw him yawn, twice! Never in my life had I seen him yawn before and I reckoned he must have had a big night out."
Lofthouse had finished third behind Ryan and Nathan Baker at Halls Gap the week before and was still receiving the same generous 7.45 minute start from the local champ and decided there was no better time to take advantage.
"We had three fit young footballers in Scott Carey, Karl and Liam Scott running on invitation and I was able to keep in touch," Lofthouse said
"I managed to pass the Scott boys when the heat got to them on the second lap.I was really buggered on the last lap and all season I've never felt so bad after finishing a race."
When handicaps were applied, Lofthouse could have saved himself some effort as he had over a minute spare from Big Hill specialist Bob Freeland with Ryan third.
Ryan recorded the fastest time of 19.31 minutes, but was still a further 0.45 seconds behind in third place.
Ryan said he was just "happy to get around" given his further celebrations planned later that afternoon and his body focused on a 100k Ultra Marathon scheduled for Gippsland in December.
In the Sub-Junior version of the race it was an all-Horsham affair with Logan Casey posting fastest time and too proving too strong for brothers Jordan and Jacob Nitschke.
