SHEPPARTON’S Andrew Sait added to the family’s winning run in the latest round of the Bendigo Athletic Club cross-country season.

The club’s fifth race was run on the Noden property at the Whipstick.

Sait improved remarkably from ninth placing in the previous week’s 8km to win the Phil Noden-sponsored 6.5km by a comfortable margin.

Earlier this season, Sait’s father Tony Sait won the Kel Pell 6500m handicap.

After starting from a middle mark in a field of 30 on the Whipstick course, Andrew Sait surged clear of co-markers Rod Stewart and Mark Perdon and caught the 13 runners in front, led by outmarker Rhonda Schultz.

As he approached the final kilometre, Sait passed newcomer Charlie Wardrop and ran on strongly to be 39 seconds clear of runner-up Brett Gilligan at the finish line.

Wardrop capped a great run to be third overall and first in the under-23 class.

Sait achieved full points for the open category award.

Jacob Nolan ran fastest time of 22:43 and Ingrid Douglas achieved fastest time of the women’s in 28:20.

A great day for the Gilligan family included Brett being first in the veterans category, and Melinda was runner-up in the women’s.

In the 1km race for juniors, Tabitha Goode was first ahead of Olivia Gaskin and Kai Norton.

Fastest time of 4:03 was achieved by teenager Emma Gilligan.

Next Sunday is a break for the club with racing to resume on June 17 when athletes contest a 6.5km event at Crusoe Reservoir in Kangaroo Flat.

Category placings for the Phil Noden-sponsored 6.5km:

Open: Andrew Sait, Matt Sullivan and Dan Ryan.

Veterans: Brett Gilligan, Rod Stewart and Ingrid Douglass.

Under-23: Charlie Wardrop, Demi Goodall-Hoffman and Sebastian Rossi.

Women’s: Ingrid Douglass, Melinda Gilligan and Demi Goodall-Hoffman.

Fastest time: Jacob Nolan, Dan Ryan and Ben Goode.