JOSH Torley continued his dominance of the Bathurst Half Marathon on Sunday by picking up his third straight win while Tilly Perrin beat home last year's champion Leigha Wills in the women's battle.
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The Dubbo Stampede 5.3km and 10km record holder completed the 21.1km event in one hour, 12 minutes and eight seconds to be more than five minutes ahead of his nearest rival.
While he was four minutes down on the previous year's winning time it was a big effort from Torley considering he wasn't close to peak condition.
"I was a little sick coming into it so that was in the back of my mind but I was able to take it pretty easy and didn't have to push," Torley said.
READ ALSO: The photos from the 2018 Dubbo Stampede
"That was good, especially after coming off the Keira Marathon two weeks ago. That was only my second marathon there so I'm still learning the ropes with that.
"It's great getting back to half-marathon though."
The runner from Dalton was still quick enough to reach his halfway turnaround point at the Bathurst Bulldogs Rugby Club before any of the 10km entrants reached the finish line - just like he did the year before.
He continued to extend his margin over second placed Loughlin Kennedy all the way to the finish line.
Kennedy finished in 1:17:36 while Bathurst's Wes Gibson was third home in 1:19:35.
"It was just about going out there and running by feel. There were great conditions today as well," Torley said.
"I knew I wouldn't go for that time from last year but I can't complain. I'm still really happy with it."
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Wills and Perrin had been duelling all day with neither runner letting the other out of their sights throughout the event.
Another title was in reach of Wills before trouble struck within sight of the finish.
"Leigha was strong all day long and it was just before the 15km turnaround where she stopped with a massive stitch. I stopped to make sure she was okay and she said 'Yeah it's fine, keep going'," Perrin said.
"Not too long after, when I was at the turnaround, she was back running again.
"She had been racing strong but I knew I just had to keep comfortable and I could slowly reel her in."
Perrin ended up racing clear of Wills to win in 1:26:57. Wills came home in 1:28:25.
Becky House (1:32:28) was the third woman home.
The half marathon was almost like a sprint for Perrin but the Central Coast runner enjoyed the trip west.
"I was just trying not to do anything silly. Speed is not my forte so I just went off my Orange Half Marathon time, which was 90 minutes, and thought that if I could do under 90 I'd be really happy," she said.
"Three weeks after Orange I had a 100-mile mountain marathon in New Zealand, which was my focus. This was my first race since then.
"I'd like to do another ultra marathon in Japan this September and possibly look at the City 2 Surf and maybe the Gold Coast marathon."
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Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
