18/08/2026
🚨 MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨
The Victorian Athletic League Board is delighted to announce the appointment of former athlete Allan Cook as Chairman of the newly established Race Review Panel (RRP)!
This independent committee marks one of the most significant structural changes to race management in VAL history, bringing expanded oversight to protect the fairness, transparency, and compliance of professional running.
👉 What is the RRP?
The panel introduces a new era of data-driven integrity:
🔹 Enhancing League Integrity: Ensuring everyone races on their merits.
🔹 Relieving Race-Day Pressure: Shifting complex adjudication away from the trackside to allow for deeper, post-race scrutiny.
🔹 Data-Driven Decisions: Analysing electronic timing and historical performance data accurately.
🔹 Boosting Participation: Building a level, trustworthy playing field for athletes, trainers, and stewards alike.
A Message from VAL President Charlie Sutherland:
"The establishment of the Race Review Panel represents one of the biggest changes arguably to the management of races in the history of the league. To lead this new era, we have the perfect candidate in Allan Cook. I want to thank the VAL Board for their vision in establishing this crucial independent panel. Most importantly, I want to thank Allan for stepping into this vital role. His rare combination of world-class athletic success and decades of experience officiating in Australian sport makes him uniquely qualified to lead us forward."
About Chairman Allan Cook:
🥇 World Champion: 2013 M50 1500m World Champion, 10-time National Masters Champion, & 12-time Victorian Masters Champion.
⏱️ Stawell Legend: Holds the record for the longest span between Stawell wins for a middle-distance runner (1985 to 2007), alongside 21 career sashes.
🏉 Elite Officiator: 256 AFL games umpired (including the '95, '96, and '97 Grand Finals) and current VFL Match-Day Coach.
👟 Expert Coach: Level 3 middle-distance coach and Cert 3 Personal Trainer.
Please join us in welcoming Allan to this vital role as we step into a stronger future for professional running! 🙌
