The second last Sunday of October each year will become more and more famous in Gladstone as the community embraces the Biondello Bolt. A 'Bolt' is a fast run, usually to get out of somewhere, like 'he bolted through the gate.' But here in Gladstone, at the city's highest mountain, the Bolt is a family friendly run up Glen Eden's Mt Biondello. This first 'running' of the Bolt, Oct 2019, attracted 115 competitors. The 55 individual runners each did 7 km, or two laps of the course. Congratulations to the winner Jack Powell on running this in 30m 36 sec, or 4 min 22 sec per kilometre, or about 5:59 per mile for the 4.375 miles. The eight family teams, each team of four members, did 3.5 km each, or one lap. Their times are added together, and then averaged back to an average time between the four members. This is a 'family' event, not composed of elite runners. Just the fun of doing a run together. Even so, the Hugh family had a great day winning at 27 min 36 seconds. This is about 7 min 53 sec per km, or over the 2.1875 miles, or this is about 12 min 37 sec per mile. The 'Teams' are expected to produce a faster time than the families. But even with these five teams, a very friendly approach has been taken. The 'Escapees' produced a credible average time of 23 minutes 12 seconds for the 3.5 km. Were these the true Bolt-ers, escaping through the gate, from the 1847 seven-week settlement on Facing Island with five week 'Northern Australia' settlement at Barney Point commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Barney ? (I hasten to add there seems to be no reports of people leaving this short settlement.) Anyway 23 min 12 sec average for each runner is 6 min 38 sec per km, or 10 min 36 sec per mile.

Fun This is truly a 'fun' event, which everyone can enjoy. The participants were not chasing the 4-minute miles of John Landy, more recently known as the former Governor of Victoria, nor the 12:52 for a three mile by Glenhuntly's Ron Clarke, more recently known as Mayor of the Gold Coast, nor the USA university 3 miles titles held by Pat Clohessy, more recently known as Prof Emeritus of Sport at University of Queensland. Rather, the slower times of 50 minutes for the 3.5 km show the families with the four-year-old’s coming to have a day event with mum, dad, grandma and grandpa while experiencing and learning about the importance of running and fitness. Thousands of families could participate, at their own personal levels, in this event.

True Heights While this Bolt is a great name, perhaps mountain is bit of an exaggeration. The race organisers say the mountain is 145m high, while more accurate maps say about 121m high. My estimate from contour lines (see contour map this page) is about 125m high. The top of the communications tower is probably 145m, and is probably what was detected by using an elevation satellite finder on a phone. In any case, the race event itself rises from about the 40m above sea level point near the Toondoon Gardens buildings. So this is an impressive run uphill of some 85 metres. If this was converted to a staircase, at the Queensland standard of 190mm per step, then this staircase would have 448 steps, with 423 ordinary steps of 250mm width and some 25 wider 750mm steps as landings. That is also a 30-storey building. Of course, a true mountain has to be a thousand feet high, or 305m. Anything less is really still a hill.

Getting a Tad Fit Any age can do some running. I do know this is broad statement which may be met with a sigh of anguish. The way is to simply create the right mood by wearing the right runners, and the right running shorts, when going for a short daily walk, even if just half a kilometre. Then gradually run part of the walk in a soft jog, maybe two 50m sections. After two weeks take this to a km daily walk with four 50m jogs. Each few weeks add a half km, and increase the jog to a canter and to a run. By about six months you will probably be doing 3 km, maybe 5 km, with much of it as a run.

Be Ready Come and enjoy the annual Biondello Bolt; a fun day for parents and friends. And an introduction to fitness for life. If you find time, enjoy the Tad fitness. Our thanks to The Gladstone Region Council, Kate Dimou (Community Development Officer); and the Gladstone Road Runners for their information and their photos. And to Charmane Thompson, school teacher and road runner for her plan of the path of the run. But, I drew the mountain sketch. Some think that Mt Biondello was named after one of Lucentio's servants in William Shakespeare's play of The Taming of the Shrew.

Regards
Gerry Clarke, B.PED
Owner of Pocket Books
1969 Captain of the Xavier College Cross Country Team, which that year were the Victorian Schoolboy Champions.

At age 68, I still run 5 km about three times a week. For a period in my thirties and forties I was not running. In my mid fifties, I then developed my Tad for Fitness technique above; after six months I was up to a proper 5km run almost every day.