The first week of the season for the Bendigo Athletic Club has started in fine style for the Parker family and the best is yet to come.

Young Jack Parker took out the Children’s 1km event in fine style, and then his father Adam rounded out the family’s successful day by posting his fastest 5km time to take out the Senior event.  While this might seem hard to top, Adam’s next major appearance is at his wedding next Saturday afternoon, so it seems his lucky streak is going to continue.

The event, run as a sealed handicap, was staged over a testing course starting and finishing near the Rifle Range in East Bendigo.  Parker held off Ben Goode by six seconds, with Kyall Britten finishing third.  Britten took out the Bendigo Bank Fastest Time Award, recording 17:13, comfortably ahead of Josh Sait with 17:42, with race winner Adam Parker only 1 second behind as third fastest.

The popular Parker also took out the week’s Bridge Hotel Open age-group category from always consistent school-teacher Ben Goode, while the Liz and Mark Findlay U23 Award was taken out by Andrew Sait ahead of first-timer Resa Azimi, with Sait’s sister Gabe third.

Phil Noden got the top points in the Flack Advisory Veterans Award ahead of Rhonda Schultz and  Ingrid Douglass, but Rhonda claimed top spot in the Bendigo Original Pie Shop Ladies Award from Ingrid with Gabe Sait third.

As mentioned before Jack Parker took out the Children’s 1km event from Ava Bibby and Isabella Ellis.  Fastest time in this event was a battle of the Noden brothers with Matthew’s 3:53 edging out Daniel by six seconds.

The next event will be the John Burke Handicap held on Sunday, 26th of April at the Mandurang Cricket Ground. There will be a children’s 1km race at 10am, with the main race again starting at 10.30am.