Coach, lifeguard win world cross country Masters team relay, Krishna Stanton honour, results

One is a top level runner. The other a surf lifeguard. And now this dynamic duo are world cross country Masters relay champions. Wrap, top results, photos.

Some of the action from the ambulant and masters racing at Bathurst.

A top runner and coach and her lifeguard pupil have pulled off a stunning victory in the Masters team relay at the world cross country championships in Bathurst.

Against a field of big names and international athletes - including Aussie great Steve Moneghetti - Stephen Stewart and Olga Firsova ran off with the victory in 4x2km relay.

Incredibly it was Firsova’s first cross country race with Stewart coached by the 39-year-old on the Sunshine Coast.

The 10,000m Queensland state champion, who has aspirations of campaigning for the Paris Olympics, said the pair opted to do the race for something different.

Stewart, a lifeguard at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, trains with Firsova to maintain his fitness for his job patrolling the busy Queensland beach.

Stephen Stewart and Olga Firsova.

“I just met Olga and she started to coach me. When we heard about this we just decided to go for it,’’ he said.

The pair held off a top-level field for the win on the testing and challenging course raced later in the day by the worlds best athletes.

Some of the action from the ambulant and masters racing at Bathurst.

Included in the field was Moneghetti and running mate Krishna Stanton who finished sixth in the mixed relay and first in their age group.

After racing Stanton, originally from Leeton, was recognised by world athletics for setting a 55-59 age group world record at the London Marathon the with her time of 2:48:06.

Marathon runner Krishna Stanton in her heyday. Pic Mark Calleja

The resurgence of Stanton, an Australian Olympian who competed in the 3000m at Barcelona in 1992, is due to a late career diagnosis of coeliac disease.

Once diagnosed, Stanton’s performances lifted with the former Commonwealth Games medallist last year stunning with her world age record.

“After the London marathon it tool me a little time to regroup,’’ she said.

“Steve and I last competed together at the world cross country championships in 1986 so here we are all these years later.’’

MIXED RELAY RESULTS

1 Team FIRSOVA-STEWART 13:5 35+1 Mixed.

2 Team LUND-BRUCE 14:11 35+2 Mixed

3 Team MITCHELL-DESSAIXCHIN 14:36 35+3 Mixed

4 Team KASAPIS-DINNEEN 14:44 35+4 Mixed

5 Team RAYNER-CHASELING 15:06 35+5 Mixed

6 Team STANTON-MONEGHETTI 15:18 50+1 Mixed

Young runner Xavier Wilson with Paralympian Jaryd Clilfton

PARALYMPIAN COMPLETES SPECIAL RACE

Vision-impaired Paralympian Jaryd Clifton took to the world championship course on Saturday morning alongside a youngster who hopes one day to follow in the footsteps of the well known Australian runner.

The 23-year-old from Melbourne won the 2km race - the first Paralympic event held at a world cross country championship

In fifth place was 10-year-old Xavier Wilson from Shell Cove south of Sydney, who wanted to race the course when he heard his idol Clifton was competing.

“It means a lot to be running with him,’’ said Xavier who has already targeted Brisbane 2032 for a Paralympic debut and competes with Albion Park Little Athletics..

“He told me to keep pushing and follow my dreams and never to give up.’’

Clifton said the 2km race was a great hitout for the upcoming John Landy Mile where he is hoping to be the first vision-impaired athletes to produce a sub four minute mile.

AMBULANT RACE RESULTS: TOP 10: Jaryd CLIFFORD 7:07 7:07, Sam HARDING 7:42, Lochlan WARREN 9:04, Georgia POWNING 9:39, Xavier WILSON 10:06, Belinda SCOTT 10:34, Thomas BURROWS 11:01, Alexandra GUINEY 12:59, Timothy D’ABRERA 14:02, Monica MOORE 16.01.