General News
27 September, 2024
Carly chasing second Queen of Mountain title
THE reigning Queen of the Mount Carly Isaac is looking to stronger competition when competitors tackle the world’s smallest mountain on Saturday. Carly will defend her title at Wycheproof – in fact, she’ll defend all three women’s titles...
THE reigning Queen of the Mount Carly Isaac is looking to stronger competition when competitors tackle the world’s smallest mountain on Saturday.
Carly will defend her title at Wycheproof – in fact, she’ll defend all three women’s titles from 2023 when the famous race made a triumphant return after a 35-year hiatus.
Last year she won Queen of the Mount as well as the Women’s Mountain Dash (a run up the mountain without any baggage), and the wheelbarrow relay with three Boort netball teammates.
“I reckon they have advertised well,” she said of this year’s event. “Hopefully they will get a few better entries and I can have a good run for my money.”
Speaking of money, there is a $5000 prize for winning the Queen of the Mount, but Carly said the cash was unimportant to her.
“It’s just nice to get the title, being a local race,” she said. When she spoke to the Loddon Herald, Carly was about to head off on a training run on the racecourse at Mount Wycheproof, which towers 42 metres above the surrounding terrain.
That’s nothing for her. A normal week will involve a 30-kilometre run at The Granites, near her family’s farm between Wedderburn and Boort, with a bag on her shoulders for the last three or four kilometres.
“Dad’s put 30kg in the bag this year,” Carly said, so that the 20kg load on Saturday will feel like nothing at all.
“That’s the plan, anyway.”
Her training had been interrupted recently by a couple of health issues, which put her race day in jeopardy, but Carly said, “it’s going to be fine; hopefully I’m all over that”.
She has roped in her netball mates for the wheelbarrow race again and will also run in the dash.