Close finishes featured at University's Great Court Race

Second-year engineering student Mark Abercromby, of International House, leapt into the air with excitement as he crossed the finishing line to win the men's final of the University of Queensland's Great Court Race on May 14.

He won in a time of 1 minute 31.5 seconds, 1.68 seconds in front of first-year music student Daniel McFarlane who completed the race in 1 minute 33.18 seconds.

In the women's final, first-year science student Kimberley Mackintosh won in a time of 1 minute and 50.63 seconds, just 0.28 seconds in front of first-year science student Katrina Dodds who finished in 1 minute 50.91 seconds.

Last year's winner, second-year arts students Louise Hood, placed third with a time of 1 minute 53.3 seconds.

Both winners said they intended to compete in next year's race.

In a curtain-raiser to the race, organisers UQ SPORT invited representatives from Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Strikers, Queensland Reds and the University of Queensland Rugby Club to compete for the Fourex Celebrity Sprint Relay Challenge. The Queensland Reds team won in a time of 1 minute 21.50 seconds.

UQ SPORT sport and recreation manager Kerry Johnson said the race demanded a high level of lactic acid tolerance.

'The race distance of 636 metres is difficult to train for as it is neither a sprint nor a middle distance race,' she said.

Competitors in the race - sponsored by Alpine World and modelled on the Cambridge University event depicted in the film Chariots of Fire - ran against recorded chimes marking race records.

Simon Still set the men's record time of 1 minute 26.04 seconds in 1991 and Sandra Dawson set the women's record in 1993 with a time of 1 minute 41.68 seconds.

The winners of the men's and women's events received the Alumni Association and Alpine World Great Court Race trophies and an Alpine World ski trip.

For more information, contact Trent Reisenleiter at UQ SPORT (telephone 3371 7777).