Duer Yoa, winner of the 11km Run Ballarat race.
HOMETOWN athletes Duer Yoa and Angela Williams yesterday claimed Ballarat’s newest distance running titles.
Yoa and Williams led home strong fields in the first Run Ballarat 11-kilometre road race on the city’s streets.
The 22-year-old Yoa clocked 35 minutes, 59 seconds on a circuit that took in the central business district – beginning and finishing at the City Oval.
The reigning Victorian half marathon champion finished 13 seconds clear of Ballarat’s veteran Olympian Steve Moneghetti.
The 11km race was the feature competitive event of Run Ballarat, which attracted more than 4000 runners and walkers, and raised money for Ballarat Health Service Base Hospital’s children’s ward.
A former Australian cross country representative, Yoa returned to competitive running this year after a two-year break and has put together a string of impressive performances.
Yoa works with retailer Cotton On and he said it was a perfect opportunity to get involved with an event backed by the Cotton On Foundation.
“I wasn’t particularly aiming for any result, I was just wanting to get involved in the foundation and with the cause,” Yoa said.
Williams was the first woman across the line in 40.28, which also gave her eighth overall.
Williams, who has lived in Ballarat since January, said the course impressed her.
“I run the lake quite often and occasionally some wild cross-country terrains, so it was fantastic to be able to go through the city centre,” she said.
Williams’ son, Sam, was second in the six-kilometre run.
Ballarat High School student Ryan Norman won the boys’ 6km in 19.43.
Norman said he was happy with his run, but after racing on Saturday had not performed to the best of his ability.
“The course was quite tough because it was so fast at the start going downhill and then with the incline coming back,” Norman said.
The first female across the line in the 6km was also a school student, Loreto College’s Anna Kelly, 18, who finished in 22.16.
Eight-page Run Ballarat liftout inside today's copy of The Courier.