JESSICA STENSON

BIOGRAPHY

A two-time Olympian, Jessica Stenson has won three consecutive medals at the Commonwealth Games during her 14-year career on the National team. Her most recent competition in the green and gold was a brilliant win in the marathon at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, overcoming testing positive to COVID at the high-altitude training camp in St Moritz, Switzerland.

+ + + + +

Growing up in the South Australian country town of Naracoorte Jessica recalled how the town lived and breathed sport. Throughout her junior years she was heavily involved in a variety of sports including netball, basketball, tennis, athletics and school cross country. She recalls aged five she was not fast enough to make the school relay team, but was more comfortable over longer distance. 

After meeting Benita Willis in 2000, she was inspired to not only continue to follow her career closely but also engage more in athletics. That same year, while in year 7, and aged 13, she went to her first Australian Cross Country Championships where she won gold. It was then she realised running is something she enjoyed and wanted to discover her potential. In her late teens she was very successful at the beep test for her Basketball team, where the coach suggested she would be better suited to running.

Although Jess Trengove ran on the track as a junior against athletes of the likes of Linden Hall, it was not until she was 21 (in 2008) that she started to specialise in athletics. In 2008, she started to train under her current coach Adam Didyk and placed second at Zatopek, but she started to appear on the podium more regularly in 2010, winning the national cross-country title and competing at the World Half Marathon Championships and World University Cross Country. 

There was solid progression in 2011, with two quality half marathon results (1st Melbourne and 2nd Gold Coast), a PB at Zatopek (33:16.72) and 70th place at the IAAF World Cross Country. In March 2012, she made a stunning marathon debut of 2:31.02 in Nagoya, the fastest ever by an Australian. It earned her Olympic selection for London where she placed 38th in 2:31.17, just outside her PB. At the 2010 World Half Marathon and London Olympics, Jess was on the team with her idol Benita Willis, defeating her on both occasions. 

2013 was also a busy year with PBs from 1500m to half marathon. She would also accomplish her best global marathon finish, an outstanding 11th at the Moscow 2013 IAAF World Championships. Following this at the 2014 Commonwealth Games her successful championship record continued with a bronze medal.

She would continue her improvements in 2015, where she smashed her 10,000m PB by 49 seconds (32:17.67) and marathon best with 2:27.45 minutes. She secured her second Olympic appearance for Rio, but had to overcome a Metatarsal stress fracture in the leadup to compete. She maintained her high-quality championship record, placing 22nd. 

In April 2017 at the London Marathon, she would once again trim her marathon PB to 2:27.01. She would later that same year, speak on the pride she felt in running for Australia and the memories she held of racing in London, confirming her availability for the London 2017 World Championships. She maintained her superb championship record finishing ninth in 2:28.59. Her placing was the highest ever by an Aussie woman at the world championships and the best by an Aussie woman at a global meet (Worlds or Olympics) since 1988 – 29 years ago. 

At the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she won her second consecutive bronze medal at the Games. Less than three months later she won the Gold Coast Marathon (2:26.31), then in October 2018 set a PB of 2:25.59 in the Toronto Marathon.

She gave birth to son Billy in November 2019 and the news of a postponed Tokyo Olympics gave Jess a chance to be selected, however, with Australian borders closed, getting to races was difficult. Athletics Australia would organise an April 2021 race held in Sydney but due to persistent pain in her right quad and a diagnoses of a bone injury, Jess could not start in the race.

She binge watched the Tokyo Olympics and was inspired to chase a third Olympic appearance in Paris. She was set for her next marathon in October 2021 in Perth, but in the leadup was suffering a bone stress injury in her lower back just eight weeks before the race. She overcame this difficulty to clock a significant PB time of 2:25.15. This time was not only a Commonwealth Games and World Championship qualifier, but also moved her up to equal fifth all-time Australian.

Selected for the marathon for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Jess was in top form in the leadup clocking a very fast 31:49 10km at Launceston in June. Overcoming COVID while training in St Moritz, prior to the Commonwealth Games, she ran brilliant in Birmingham to win. She became the first female to win three consecutive Commonwealth Games marathon medals. She defeated a strong Aussie contingent – Sinead Diver and Eloise Wellings.

“I’m proud of my team. We did this together today. This medal is certainly not just mine, I want all of the girls to feel like they’re wearing it because we did that together.”

Jess was inspired over the later stages by one of the greats and a hero Kerryn McCann who was the last Aussie to win this race in 2010.

“I was thinking of Kerryn out there. I thought about Kerryn’s closing kilometres with the battle against the Kenyan woman (in 2006) as they entered the MCG and all of that history turns into strength. I so badly wanted to do Australia and my support team so proud today.”

Marathon great Steve Moneghetti was overcome with emotion.

“That was amazing. She’s such a great great person who has worked so hard. She deserves this victory… I’m a bit emotional but it’s a great result,” 

13 weeks later she ran her 15th marathon of her career, clocking 2:27.27 in New York in November 2022.

In September 2023 she had a second child, Ellie. Then racing the clock to compete in a marathon before the qualifying period for the Paris Olympics closed, seven months after giving birth she clocked a PB time of 2:24:01 on 7 April 2024 at the Daegu Marathon.

Occupation: Physiotherapist…Business: designs and sells Rundies (sports underwear) with her husband and brother…Sporting Family: brother Jack played 10 years of AFL form Melbourne and Port Adelaide, husband Dylan a bronze medallist National 800m in 2022…Why successful… Jess attributes her success quite simply to her love of running, determination, balanced approach to training and the strong support she receives from family, friends, her coach Adam Didyk and training group Team Tempo…Hobbies: drawing, playing the piano, enjoying good food…Advice you your young self: When taking on any challenge, be excited by the opportunity rather than fear the unknown…Hero: Benita Willis - she achieved great feats during her running career and has gone on to support and inspire other female runners to chase their potential. She is a very down-to-earth, modest and genuine human…Biggest challenge faced: My own injury experiences in the lead up to major championships have been challenging but the toughest was seeing my brother sit out two seasons of AFL with a nasty stress fracture in his foot…

@ 20 May 2024 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au

World Athletics Profile https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/jessica-stenson-14336656

16 race marathon career

2:24:01    4 Daegu 7 Apr 2024

2:25:15    1 Perth 17 Oct 2021

2:25:59    4 Toronto 21 Oct 2018 

2:26:31    2 Gold Coast 1 Jul 2018 

2:27:01    10 London 23 Apr 2017

2:27:27    9 New York 6 Nov 2022

2:27:31    1 Birmingham 30 Jul 2022 (CG)

2:27:45    1 Melbourne 18 Oct 2015

2:28:59    9 London 6 Aug 2017 (WC)

2:30:12    3 Glasgow 27 Jul 2014 (CG)

2:31:02 14 Nagoya 11 Mar 2012

2:31:17 38 London 5 Aug 2012 (OG)

2:31:23 11 Nagoya 9 Mar 2014 

2:31:44 22 Rio 14 Aug 2016 (OG)

2:34:09 3 Gold Coast 15 Apr 2018 (CG)

2:37:11 11 Moscow 10 Aug 2013 (WC)