User:RWTB/Benson Hill

Benson Hill new article content ... Benson Hill is located at the junction of Jones Av, Shire Av and Boak Av <37°37'32 S & 143°52'13 E> in Mt Helen, Victoria, Australia. Tony Benson was an Australian international class middle distance runner (see <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Benson) when he moved to Mt Helen in 1969 with his wife, Raylene, and the first two of their three children. Mt Helen was a suburb of the famous 1850's mining town of Ballarat situated adjacent to an extensive area of pine forest containing numerous fire trails. Over the next five years Tony developed a number of shorter challenging cross country running courses and longer endurance circuits in the area. The cross country courses changed frequently due to activities like logging causing closure of the trails and ranged from 6.5k to 9k. The one currently in use at the time was known as the "Benson Hill Course". The longer training circuits were more flexible and generally took an hour or more to complete. A common feature of all the courses and circuits was that they finished over a challenging sequence of four hills culminating up an extremely steep 150m hill that has become known today as "Benson's Hill". This hill is equally well known as a venue where middle distance runners ran blocks and sets of repetitions and intervals up the hill. During the period between 1969 and 1979 Tony taught and coached at St Patrick's College, Ballarat and introduced many students and athletes, including a number who would progress to international standard using the different courses associated with the hill. During this period Tony trained up to 10 times a week in the area and set Australian records for 2000m and 3000m, ran a sub 4 minute mile (See Australian All Time Rankings at ) and a 27:38 time for a road 10k race as well as gaining World No 5 Ranking (See  and Olympic selection. In 1976 another chapter was added to the history of the "Benson Hill" area. During a teaching class Tony saw the results of a young skinny student and asked him if he was interested in being coached. This student was Steve Moneghetti and he would become one of the world's best marathon runners (see ) between 1986 and 1995. Such was Steve's respect for the area as a training venue he later moved into the area and started to use a new 6.5k course. Again the stimulus was change. This time it was a mining company closing the western end of the forest. The new course became known as the "Mona Hill course" and another generation of athletes was attracted to the area. In the early 2000's the Troopie 1200m was added to the challenge of the courses. This was a timed run over the final section of the course and is known by this name because Olympian Lee Troop (See Australian All Time Rankings at http://athletics.com.au/Results/Rankings>) has the current best time for the distance. Since 1969 both Benson's Hill, the past Benson Hill courses and the current Mona Hill courses have contributed to the improvement of hundreds of athletes and played a significant role in the development of Olympic, Commonwealth Games, World Championship and World Cross Country representatives. Over time it's been well proven that any male athlete who can run 6.5k through the area in around 21 minutes and any female who can run 24 minutes or less has Olympic potential. The same is true of any middle distance runner who can complete 10 repetitions up Benson's Hill in an average of 26.5 seconds (men) and 30.0 seconds (women) in around 20 minutes (men) and 25 minutes (women). In 2014 Tony took the Sydney Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Reuben Kosgei (see )through the area and his comment was "This is just like Kaptagat (Kenya). Australian athletes should be training here." Ballarat athletes have known this for 40 years. All the courses and circuits are once again open! RWTB (talk) 05:48, 20 October 2014 (UTC)