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Lund & Bruce Earn Silver in Mixed Relay and Win Individual Medals the Next Day

By mitchpa on March 1, 2023 • ( 0 )

by Clay Shaw
Photos by Clay Shaw and Karen Mitchell

Bathurst, Australia, February 18-19, 2023, World Masters Athletics Cross Country Championships—April Lund of Bismarck, North Dakota and Ben Bruce of Flagstaff, Arizona had convincing wins at the USA XC championships in Richmond, VA in January. Both earned a chance to represent the USA in the first ever masters world cross-country events. The mixed relay was held on Saturday morning and gave us a chance to learn how we would do our photography later that day.

Masters in Australia starts at age 35. Lund and Bruce are both 40. It was one loop (2K) around the hilly and interesting course. The men went first. Ben Bruce surged ahead and handed off to April Lund. Lund was passed by Olga Firsova and Lauren Mitchell. Lund said “she might have gone out a little too fast.” But Lund, however, passed Mitchell late in the race to give the USA team the Silver. Olga Firsova and Stephen Stewart were the champs in 13:50. Lund and Bruce were second in 14:11. Lauren Mitchell and Russell Dessaix-Chin were third in 14:36. In the 50+ Mixed Relay, the champs were Krishna Stanton and Stephen Moneghetti in 15:18. In the 60+ Mixed Relay Victoria Gunn and Craig Downie won by eight minutes in 17:39.

Lund and Bruce continued their winning ways in the Sunday 6K cross country race. April Lund won gold in the W40 group in 23:53. Olga Firsova won the W35 group in 22:23. Ben Bruce took silver in the M40 in 20:30. Roger Robinson came across the Tasman Sea from New Zealand to win the M80 4K in 24:01.

Results