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Event
History
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In 1981, the Burke Hall Fathers
Association (BHFA) hosted the first “de Castella Run” primarily to honour the
achievements of Robert de Castella (DEEK), a former student of both Burke
Hall and its senior school campus Xavier
College. The event also
enabled the association to raise funds to support the activities of the BHFA.
Since then, the event has been held every year in August or September and has
been organized by the BHFA. With the turn over of parents on the committee
over the years, numerous fathers have helped support the event and put in
hours of voluntary time to keep the event going, and we are very grateful to
all of them. Participant numbers have varied over the years, with more than
1000 competitors on several occasions. The course has varied too. Initially,
the race took runners down Studley
Park Rd, through the Kew Junction and up Princess Street,
from where it made its way down to the Kew Boulevard and back around to Burke
Hall. However, traffic management issues resulted in the course heading out
and back around the Boulevard.
In 2008, the BHFA handed over
the organization of the event to the Old Xaverian’s Athletics Club (OXAC).
The de Castella family has been heavily involved with the OXAC for many
years. Deeks dad Rolet joined the club in the 1940’s and was still competing
when he passed away in 1997. Most of Rolet’s seven children, including Deek,
have competed for OXAC over the years. The OXAC is delighted to be able to
keep this event running and look forward to building the event in coming
years to be one of Melbourne’s
more prominent running events. The OXAC welcome men and women of any running
ability to join the OXAC. For more information check out the OXAC website at:
www.oxac.org.au
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About Deek
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Francois Robert de Castella was
born in 1957, the oldest of seven children (5 boys and 2 girls). He attended
Burke Hall from 1967 to 1970 and Xavier
College from 1971 to
1975. As a young school boy, Deek was only an average runner and finished
most cross country event in the middle of the field. However, under the
masterful guidance of his school coach Pat Clohessy, Deek rose to prominence
during his school years. By the time he left Xavier College
he had set a Victorian All Schools 3000m track record of 8:13 which stood for
many years. He won the 1500m and 3000m doubles at the coveted APS sports and
won numerous other schoolboy cross country and track events. After leaving
school he combined serious training with University where he obtained a
bachelor of applied science in Biophysics and Instrumentation. His first big
break through came when he was selected to represent Australia at
the 1980 Moscow Olympics in the marathon, where he finished a credible 10th.
In 1981 he set a new World Best for the marathon of 2:08.18 in Fukuoka Japan,
and in 1982 he completed one of his most famous victories in the marathon at
the Brisbane Commonwealth Games. He went on to compete at four Olympics and
four Commonwealth games and several world championships. Below is a summary
of his senior running career year by year.
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Year
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Event
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Location
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Distance
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Time
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Place
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1975
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National
T&F Champs
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Adelaide
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5000m
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14:14.6
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6th
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National
Junior Cross Country Champs
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?
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1st
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1976
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National
T&F Champs
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?
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5000m
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14:03.5
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5th
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National
Senior Cross Country Champs
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?
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12km
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?
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3rd
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Zatopek
Track Classic
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Melbourne
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10,000m
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28:50.4
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4th
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1977
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World
Cross Country Champs - Dusseldorf
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Wst
Germany
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12km
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?
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37th
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Pan
Pacific Games
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Canberra
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10,000m
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29:23.7
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1st
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1979
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Victorian
Marathon Champs - Point Cook
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Melbourne
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42.2km
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2:14.44
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1st
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Australian
Marathon Champs – Herne Hill
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42.2km
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2:13.23
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1st
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1980
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Olympic
Selection Trial
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West Lakes
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42.2km
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2:12.24
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2nd
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Olympics
Games - Moscow
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Russia
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42.2km
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2:14.31
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10th
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Fukuoka Invitational Marathon
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Japan
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42.2km
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2:10.44
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8th
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1981
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Fukuoka Invitational Marathon
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Japan
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42.2km
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2:08:18
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1st
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1982
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Commonwealth
Games
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Brisbane
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42.2km
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2:09.18
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1st
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1983
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Rotterdam Marathon
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Holland
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42.2km
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2:08.37
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1st
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1st
World Championships, Helsinki
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Finland
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42.2km
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2:10.03
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1st
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Australian
of the Year
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1984
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Olympic
Games – Los Angeles
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USA
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42.2km
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5th
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Chicago Marathon
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USA
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42.2km
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2:09.09
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3rd
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1985
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Chicago Marathon
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USA
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42.2km
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2:08.48
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3rd
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1986
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Commonwealth
Games – Edinburgh
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Scotland
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42.2km
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2:10.15
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1st
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Boston Marathon
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USA
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42.2km
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2:07.51
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1st
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1987
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Boston Marathon
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USA
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42.2km
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2:14.24
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6th
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2nd World Championships - Rome |
Italy |
42.2km |
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DNF |
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1988
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Tokyo Marathon
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Japan
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42.2km
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2:08.49
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4th
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Olympic
Games – Seoul
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Korea
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42.2km
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2:13.07
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8th
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1989
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1990
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Commonwealth
Games – Auckland
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New Zealand
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42.2km
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2:18.50
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13th
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1991
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Rotterdam Marathon
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Holland
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42.2km
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2:09.42
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1st
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1992
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Olympic
Games – Barcelona
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Spain
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42.2km
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2:17.44
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26th
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1993
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London Marathon
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England
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42.2km
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2:19.44
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33rd
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Retired
from international Competition
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Proudly organised by the Old Xaverians Athletics Club -
For free coaching and training group details go to: www.oxac.org.au
2009 Race Report
Personal reflections from a runner on debut
29th DeCastella Run
By Dean Watson
The 29th ”de Castella Run” was the first running event I participated in that had no association to school. In other words, I actually wanted to be there. The annual event is hosted by the old Xaverians Athletics Club to honour former Xavier student Australian marathon legend Rob de Castella. Once the world record holder for the marathon, he is to Australian long distance running what The Wiggles are to kids’ music - he made his area of expertise ‘cool’ and ‘fashionable’ in a way that no one had before him.
It was race day and we were due to start at 9.00AM. Before any pre-run rituals could commence, a race number was pinned to the front of our shirts and a timing device secured around our ankles. Despite the significant attention required to attach the race number onto our own t-shirts using petit safety pins, it soon became apparent that the man himself was there in person among the people. Although ‘Deeks’ didn’t start plugging Centrum, as one would naturally expect him to do, he did have that stylish grin on his face. He easily went about the room, chatting to runners of all shapes and sizes and ages, which appeared to relax quite a few first timers, such as myself. One thing I did notice as we assembled in Xavier College’s Burke Hall before the run, was the look of withheld terror evident on so many people’s faces. The room seemed to hold a bubbling nervous energy as everyone preserved their energy’s moment of release for the starter’s gun.
If a chat with Deeks wasn’t enough to calm the nerves, there was always the option of participating in a pre-run warm up conducted by a young peronal trainer, 20 minutes prior to the start. Needless to say, by the time all of us piled out of the gym and waited for de Castella to fire the starting gun, the nervous excitement had summitted again.
The weather might also have been responsible for some of the pre-run trepidation among us runners. It was freezing outside and the wind was whipping about the Kew mansions that surrounded the school. Rain also threatened to ruin the fun of 15km, but luckily it held off. The true test confronting runners on the course were the long, sustained sections of ascent and decent. The area of Studley Park is very hilly - take my word for it. The 15km consisted of three laps around the same course, which allowed you to see the leaders every now and again, as they made their way comfortably back from the direction you were still running in. You could only admire how fast these athletes were. Running is so very much a personal odyssey that there really isn’t any point in envying those faster than you. 99% of the people in the event were there to have a good run without worrying about winning. Personally, it was a pleasant change from the win, win, win mentality I try to take with me to the golf course every time I play.
My time for the 15km was 1hr 10min 55sec. I came 41st overall, which is a fairly nice number - the number 1’s in there after all! Did someone say this wasn’t about winning? Who said that?
Following the completion of the 5km, 10km and 15km races, presentations were held. What a change in atmosphere a running race can produce; now the room was full of the most fulfilled looking people I have seen. Running has strange effects on us humans. Each competitor went home from the event with two show bags of goodies, ready to seize the remainder of the blustery day indoors. In that sense, everyone was a winner.
From a personal point of view, my competitive running debut outside of school law and order was a very satisfying experience. All that remains in my running career is to complete the Melbourne Marathon. The Grand Daddy of running, the Lindt chocolate, the Beatles remastered albums, the new Titleist irons, the Le Napoleon cheese, the passionate late night kiss after midnight. If only 42.195km could be that pleasurable.
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