Maccabi clinch two Vic cross country series titles

In a huge milestone that demonstrates how far they have come, Maccabi Athletics Club have won the 2026 Athletics Victoria XCR (Cross Country) Series in divisions three and six, earning automatic promotion up one division next year.

Club president Len Bogatin said “The team spirit, pride, camaraderie, focus and commitment to the competition – plus the depth of talent – has enabled Maccabi to now compete against some of the premier teams in the state, including teams that boast Olympic and world-ranked athletes.

“The club is extremely proud of our XCR teams – the highest ranked in our 65-year history – which provide a wonderful role model for many aspiring juniors in the club.”

In division three, it was a photo finish with Maccabi powering ahead in the first half of the season before their main rival, Doncaster, clawed back into title contention by dominating the latter rounds.

After the penultimate round in Burnley, Doncaster only trailed them by two points but Maccabi responded in the best possible way by earning maximum points (16) in the final round – the Tan relay – led by a season-defining PB run by Nick Hershan.