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Spencer finally delivers on his promise at Camden
As they paraded for the 2014 Camden Classic final, the contrasting athletic careers of the backmarker in red - Clay Watkins and the athlete wearing the pink singlet, Rob Spencer could not have been more stark.
Watkins, a prolific major Gift winner and finalist, including wins in two of the biggest in the land - the Bay Sheffield and the Burnie Gift, represented Australia at the World University Games and has regularly competed at the Australian national championships.
Spencer, from Victoria has won nothing of note, despite being a national Under 16 medallist over 100m and running 2nd in the 2002 Bay Sheffield Restricted at the age of 15 (a race Watkins won as a 17 year old in 2004). Spencer has never run times to qualify for an open national championships, let alone been in an Australian team. An athletic career that appeared to be going nowhere.
But on Sunday, driven by the frustration of many lost years, Spencer stormed to victory in one of professional athletics' major events - the 400m Camden Classic.
Running off a handicap of 26 metres, Spencer controlled the race soon after the start when he took the lead from pre-race favourite Ashley Brown. Despite a late challenge from McKinnon Parade's Kostya Khudoshin, Spencer was too good, recording a quick 47.01 secs, to beat Khudoshin (24m) and Brown (32m).
It wasn't over the traditional 120m Gift distance, but Spencer was relieved to finally win a race with the prestige of Camden.
"I always thought I'd win a 120m Classic before a 400", Spencer said.
"But I knew I always had a huge '4' in me, I just wasn't sure I could back up for a final".
Spencer paid tribute to his coach Mark Hipworth for keeping him in the sport.
"Hippo has been instrumental in reigniting my passion for running".
After spending a week in Adelaide preparing for Camden, Spencer will return to Victoria and set his sights on a major 120m gift win.
After a brilliant heat win, recording his fastest time ever off a 4m handicap, Clay Watkins finished 8th in the final.
The women's Classic had a similar story with Kathryn Robb finally breaking through for a major win. Since being selected to represent Australia in a national junior team in 2006, Robb has won several races, but nothing major and has not been on the national rankings since.
Running in her 10th Camden final, the Michael Hane coached Robb (27m) finally delivered on her prodigious talent, running one of the fastest times in Camden history to beat co-front markers Hettie Driscoll (50m) and Eleni Glouftsis (50m) in 53.23secs.
Despite a handicap reduction for winning the rich Burnie mile on New Year's Day, 2013 AFL Grand Final boundary umpire Michael Marantelli still won the 1600m open. SA's Peter Hyde worked hard to stay with Marantelli, but the Victorian simply had too much class, winning in 4mins 07.05secs.
SA athletic enthusiasts finally got to see what the rest of the professional athletic world has been talking about when Victorian teen sensation Luke Stevens took to the Camden track. He didn't disappoint, producing a scintillating run to win the Under 20's 120m off the tight mark of 3m. In his seventh win in this, his debut season, Stevens' time of 12.54secs was 2 metres faster than the winning time in the open 120m.
Pembroke's Jake Jervis-Bardy overcame his disappointment of missing the Bay Sheffield final taking out the open 120m. Jervis-Bardy (8.0m) beat training partner Dylan Hicks (8.25m) and front marker Shaun Ryder (14.50m) in 12.76secs.
Camden athlete Hettie Driscoll (13.75m) exploited her home ground advantage to win the women's 120m from Coastal's Lauren Buchanan (11.75m) and Czenya Cavouras (9.00m). After later running 2nd in the Women's Classic, Driscoll was awarded the Athlete of the Meet.
Junior Bay Sheffield winner Ryan Atkins won the Under 17's 400m while Mark Howson won his fifth sash this season with the Over 35's 400m.
