Sport
22 February, 2023
Fun Run Honours Hall
WARRNAMBOOL athletics legend Clinton Hall was honoured at this year’s Terang and District Lions Noorat to Terang Community Fun Run and Walk.
The 2023 Open Male Winner at the iconic annual Fun Run and Walk, held on Friday February 24, was awarded the Clinton Hall trophy in recognition of Hall’s outstanding achievements as a participant in the event.
Hall competed in the Fun Run 17 times over the span of 26 years before his sudden death in July 2022, aged just 43.
Terang Lions Club member Stephen O’Connor said during his dominant stretch Hall had contributed “so much to a local fun run”.
“This year the club has chosen to honour the Warrnambool athlete for his outstanding record in the event,” he said.
“Hall first competed in 1990 as an 11 year old who had already achieved success in athletics at school, regional and state level.
“That year Clinton broke the Under 12 record in a time of 21.50 and the following year he broke that record again in a time of 21.17 which still is the record today for the Under 12 category.”
Clinton never ran a poor race in the Noorat to Terang Fun Run and Walk, as his storied record shows.
He was a five-time winner of his age category in the U/12, U/15 and U/18.
He took it all as a six-time winner of the Open Male Category, including a brilliant ‘fourpeat’ in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 before again notching victories in 2012 and 2015.
He also finished runner-up in the Open Male Category on six occasions in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
“Amazingly, Clinton twice finished as runner up after being beaten by one second and four seconds,” O’Connor said.
The decision to rename the 2023 trophy in memory of a past participant was not a first for organisers of the event.
In 2015 the Lion Club presented a special trophy to the Open Male winner in honour of John Paatsch, a four-time winner of the event who tragically died in bike accident.
In a twist of irony, it was Clinton Hall himself who won that trophy.
The Terang Lions Club will conduct the 41st running of the annual Noorat to Terang Fun Run/ Walk next Friday, February 24.
Entries for the Noorat to Terang Fun Run/ Walk are now open online on Instagram and Facebook at Terang and District Lions Club Fun Run and Walk.
