RONNY’S Runners ran like hell at Goondiwindi on Saturday.

Moree junior athletes Will Smith, Marley and Austin Legg, Lachlan Bowhay, Will and Bella Boland, and Chase and Levi Cosgrove left a few senior athletes speechless as they tore through the notorious Hell of the West triathlon carnival at the border-town.

On Kenway and Clark Super Saturday, 10-year-old Marley Legg was the first female across the line and fourth overall – against all ages – in the 5km Gundy Inferno Charity Run, which drew 91 runners.

In the same race, 10-year-old Will Smith was third male across the line and third overall.

Ronny’s runners who competed in the 5km Gundy Inferno placed in the top seven in the under-12 category.

They also finished in the top 17 for the entire race – a race made up of 91 male and female runners of all ages.

The heartbreaker weekend, featuring a 2km swim, 80km ride and 20km run on Sunday, as well as supporting events over various distances, was first held in 1989.

It is now established as one of the most notorious athletics events in Queensland – hence the name.

Nearly 700 athletes of all ages faced the tape, with Ronny’s Runners – coached by 79-year old Moree legend Ronny Clissold – leaving seasoned triathletes astonished by their performances.

When asked by on-field announcer Joel Murray what she liked best about the five-kilometre run, Marley Legg responded succinctly from the winners’ podium: “Finishing”.

She described Ronny Clissold as a “really good runner for his age – definitely – and not everyone gets to run and have a special trainer like Ronny”.

Clissold was humble after the event.

“I get enjoyment from coaching the kids,” he said.

“They’ve got talent, and it’s just a matter of teaching them the right way. If I can’t make a better athlete out of them, I’ll make them a better person.”

All Ronny’s Runners performed extraordinarily.

Will Smith ran a personal best 19:51 while Marley Legg stopped the clock at 20:17.

Austin Legg ran 24:16; Lachlan Bowhay ran 21:23 (PB); Chase Cosgrove ran 22:04 (PB); and Levi Cosgrove covered the five kilometres in 24:19, also a personal best.

Will and Bella Boland competed in the six to nine years’ triathlon, with plenty of sideline support from team-mates.

Will Smith’s mother, Casey, who competed in the 10km Gundy Inferno Charity Run, said the Hell of the West weekend at the border-town was an incredible experience.

“Hell of the West is such a good event,” Smith said.

“The vibe on Super Saturday is surreal – complete strangers clapping and cheering you on and high-fiving you as you come past.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re running sixth or 96th – it’s an experience that’s got to be lived to fully feel all the feels,” she grinned.

Smith said Ronny’s Runners performed exceptionally well at the highest level.

“Much like the adults training for the triathlon, the kids didn’t turn up at Goondiwindi hoping for the best,” she said.

“Their results are the reward for four, five and, for some of them, six days of training a week.

“The 5km Inferno runners all stuck around to cheer on Bella and Will in the kids triathlon, too. The camaraderie between this group of kids is unbelievable and the amount of cheering they did the minute they spotted Bella and Will nearing the finish chute was next level,” Smith smiled.

Field announcer Joel Murray praised the Moree junior squad.

“Families and kids don’t get pathways and opportunities unless there are people like Ronny (Clissold) in their lives,” he said.

“The Moree kids were outstanding today. I love the energy from them.”

Casey Smith said Clissold and his wife, Helen, went above and beyond when coaching Ronny’s Runners.

“The gratitude we as parents feel for Ronny cannot be put into words, and that gratitude extends equally to Helen,” Smith said.

“The dedication and time he puts into our children is extraordinary. And while Ronny considers himself to be a fairly ordinary person, we certainly think otherwise,” she said.

Moree team Queens of the Newell – Flick Taylor, Renaye Madden and Madeline Pursche – was second in the ladies team category and 24th overall.

Moree’s solo attempts to face the border-town living hell included Maddy Picone, Zeb Chapman, Tony Burgin, Kerry Limb and Angus Gall, with Limb winning her age group.

Picone finished second behind Melanie Clark in her age group; Gall crossed the line third behind Patrick Hawkes and Connor Scott in his age group, with Burgin third behind Jason Sams and Ben Pirie in his age group.

Nikko Siddins, from Croppa Creek, was the second female across the line in the 10km run, with Moree’s Nick Beddoes winning the 12-14 years category.

Also competing from Moree were Andrew Mack, Aaron Wilde, Zeb Chapman, Megan Adams, Fraser Brown, James Boland, Rod Ward and Alex Madden, with Casey Smith, Tod Davis, Lauren Hunt and Carita Lablack competing in the 10km Inferno Run.

Total Ag Services Hell of the West champions were men’s open winner, 30-year-old Kieran Storch, from Brisbane, beating Lachlan Haycock and Josh Amberger.

The women’s open winner was 23-year-old Richelle Hill, from the Moreton Bay area, who beat Chloe Hartnett and Sophie Malowiecki.

Storch, Hell of the West runner-up last year, ran 3:26:33 – the second-fastest time on record and Hill made it back-to-back Hell of the Wests when stopping the clock at 03:52:57.

Hell of the West secretary, Sally Poole, said Moree was well-supported.

“There were 35 athletes from Moree competing in Hell of the West weekend events,” Poole said.

“Ronnys Runners made their mark with four athletes in the top 10, and there were some impressive results from Moree athletes In the Total Ag Services Hell of the West.”

All results available here: 2025 Hell of the West.

Words: Bill Poulos

Images: Supplied

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