NEVER had the Mount Panorama Punish been won by the same runner twice.
Lachlan Oakes had come closest, the 2018 winner running second in 2019, beaten out by eventual winner David Criniti by almost 40 seconds.
But on Sunday morning, new history was created by a Bathurst runner.
Miller Rivett, a 17-year-old from Scots All Saints College, finished ahead of Zbynek Hanys to claim victory in the 2023 Mount Panorama Punish.
It was the second time Rivett has won it after winning in 2020, which had a restricted field due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rivett was actually trailing Hanys when coming down the Chase and around Murray’s Corner, but as the track raised towards home on the straight, the Bathurst runner had enough fuel in the tank to overtake Hanys and win.
Ecstasy for Miller Rivett as he crosses the finish line to win the 2023 Mount Panorama Punish. Picture by James Arrow.
“I was kind of hoping on the downhill I’d have a little bit left in the last 200 metres,” he said.
“I kicked past in the end and I managed to get through.”
Rivett won the race in a time of 22 minutes and six seconds, well behind the record set by Harry McGill last year (20:44) but better than when he won it in 2020 (22:57).
He described the start of the race as “very slow”.
“It was much slower than last year but I just wanted to save a bit more for the downhill, compared to last year,” he said.
“I think from about the second kilometre, we [myself and Hanys] pulled away. It was just a strong build and I wanted to sit behind him the whole time and I managed to do that.
“I remember him from last year. He was just behind me last year as well and he was fourth.
“But to have won it a couple of years ago and then third last year and then to win it this year, I’m pretty happy.”
Hanys came fourth in last year’s event and was also one position behind Miller on that occasion.
This year was the sixth edition of the Mount Panorama Punish.
The first edition back in 2017 was won by Orange’s Mitchell Williamson in a time of 21:49, ahead of Ben Witney and Bathurst’s Wes Gibson in second and third respectively.
Oakes won in 2018 ahead of Patrick McNamara and Bathurst’s Nicholas Zawadski, before Criniti took glory ahead of Oakes and Dani Andres in 2019.
In 2020, it was a local-only field due to COVID-19 restrictions, with Miller’s winning coming ahead of fellow rivals Aaron Houston and Max Martinez in second and third respectively.
Due to another COVID-19 lockdown, the 2021 event never went ahead, but McGill would win in 2022 ahead of Illya Justin and Rivett in 2022.
The Western Advocate 22nd October 2023, by Bradley Jurd https://www.westernadvocate.com.au/story/8395190/rivett-creates-history-in-the-mount-panorama-punish/