Point to Pinnacle 2023: Team rallies behind Simon Boucher after devastating diagnosis
After receiving a devastating diagnosis this year, the community rallied behind Simon Boucher – who has run the last nine Point to Pinnacles – to get him past the finish line. See the results + video.
Tasmania
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The Bouch to Pinnacle team had a deeply emotional race as they pushed their friend Simon Boucher alongside thousands of runners during his 10th Point to Pinnacle.
For the previous nine years Mr Boucher ran in the Point to Pinnacle, but a devastating health diagnosis meant he had to be pushed in his 10th race.
Since being diagnosed with advanced melanoma in July, he has had two brain surgeries, immunotherapy and radiation treatment.
“It’s been such an emotional morning but it’s probably the most memorable run I’ve ever done,” close friend and runner Gabby Wilson said.
“This is only Simon’s second visit out of hospital in the last five months and so today was all about raising awareness for the Melanoma Institute.”
There were 80 people running a part of Mr Boucher’s team wearing Bouch to Pinnacle shirts. Because of the conditions, Mr Boucher had to change the distance to the pub.
“We wanted to somehow get his name up to the top. So half the group went to the very pinnacle to run the shirts across the line and the other half of us pushed him to the pub, and took turns going that way so that he could be part of it,” Ms Wilson said.
“Simon’s been a part of the Rokeby Volunteer Fire Brigade for about 30 years, so they were waiting for him at the finish line with a charted bus to bring him down along with a number of nurses from the Royal Hobart Hospital at the finish line.”
Despite being in rehab, Ms Wilson said the staff from the RHH were fundamental in getting Mr Boucher to the pinnacle.
“We wouldn’t be here without them,” she said.
“The race will have filled his cup so much, he’s going to be thinking about this for months and months.”
More than 3500 racers participated in the Point to Pinnacle with 2250 taking on the world’s toughest road half marathon, clocking a gruelling 21.1km incline run up to Mount Wellington/kunanyi.
Aaron Harvey took first place, running from point to pinnacle in 1:26:23. Milly Clark was the first female over the line, running 21.1km in 1:42:12. Reece Harris had the fastest 10km run to the pub at 37:48. Anna Smee was the first female over the 10km line at 46:50.
Eight-year-old Tommy Kratz has been training to run the Point to Pub, a 10km run, with his sailing team.
“The kids sail together so they’re doing it as a pre-season team building exercise,” mum Erica Kratz said. “We live in Mt Nelson so he’s been running up the bends a few times and did 5km Parkrun.”
Friends Lu Van Staden and Nyssa Hartog are running to raise money for Edmund Rice Camps.
“We were feeling really nervous for the race. We’re a bit unprepared but we’re not trying to prove a point,” Ms Staden said. “We reached our goal of raising $5000 which is amazing.”
Media personality Carrie Bickmore also participated in the event, to raise money for Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation.
Race organiser Tim Smith said the sense of accomplishment of finishing the race is unbeatable.
“Conquering the mountain makes every day of training and every step on race day worth it,” he said.
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