mmg.com.au

“You Burramine people always set yourselves a very high standard and you have reached it yet again.”

So said a Victorian Athletic League official, and over 250 competitors, their families and supporters couldn’t have agreed more.

The 62^ndrunning of the Burramine Gift was won by Jarrod Lindner, from Lavington, who is trained by 1981 Burramine Gift winner, Adrian Fury.

Fury himself competed in two events at the meeting.  Lindner is the sixth Albury runner to win Gift.

Lindner started off 10.75 metres and ran a highly competitive 12.21 seconds to beat AFL boundary umpire Adam Coote.

Twelve past Gift winners were present at the meet including Fred Sinclair, who won the first of his two Burramine gifts, exactly 60 years ago.  Fred was given the honour of putting the winner's shirt on Lindner.

President Peter Lawless thanked all sponsors for support, especially Yarrawonga Holiday Park Committee.  

“The Burramine Gift officials looked distinctive in Yarrawonga Holiday Park- sponsored flouro vests with the Yarrawonga Holiday Park logo on the back,” he said.

Secretary Frances Connell said the children's events were filled to capacity this year.

“These events showed some very promising future runners who have the ability to be successful in athletics,” Frances said.  “Parents, who came to Burramine for the first time, were very impressed with the events for their children.”

The Burramine Gift Carnival has always been known as a family carnival and this year was no exception.

“In a first for Burramine, husband and wife, Wally (who won the 1993 Burramine Gift) and Anna Pasquali from Wangaratta, both ran in the 300 metres Women's /Veterans' event,” Frances said.  

“Neither was successful in that one, but Anna won the BROO 400 metres Women's Series final for the second successive year. For the last two years, heats of the series have been run at meetings across Victoria during the summer and the final is held at Burramine.”

Also Canberra husband and wife, Kevin and Vicki Matthews and their son, Brendan, all ran.  

“We had several international runners this year. Bola Lawal from Nigeria, Omar Bayhow from Somalia and Bikramjeet Singh from Asia have all made homes in Australia and all ran in the Carnival,” Frances said. 

“Robert Spencer, originally from Essendon and now teaching at Sacred Heart College was unlucky not to be in the Gift final. He was pleased to have the opportunity to meet his former Assumption College teacher, Ray Carroll.  

Before opening the carnival, Ray spoke of having known Burramine president, Peter Lawless, and other local people for many years and recounted the proud history of the Sports Club.”

Frances said the ‘social hour’ held at ClubMulwala after the Carnival was extremely well patronised.

“More than 200 people came along for the official presentation of the cheques, sashes and trophies,” she said.