5000m Championships to headline Sydney Track Classic

The Australian 5000m Championships have attracted stellar fields to headline a bumper program at Saturday night’s Sydney Track Classic as the Coles Summer Super Series reaches full velocity.

The women’s event features both current and future Australian stars, with Genevieve Gregson (Nic Bideau) taking on young gun Rose Davies (Scott Wescott) and the up-and-coming Isobel Batt-Doyle (Riley Cocks).

The top contenders will be more than familiar with each other after revealing their cards in a showing of early season form over 10,000m at Zatopek:10 – where Davies slaughtered the field over the final lap to secure her maiden open national title in emphatic fashion.

Since then, Batt-Doyle has lowered her 5000m personal best from 15:26.48 down to 15:11.07 – falling agonisingly short of the 15:10.00 Olympic qualifying standard at the Box Hill Burn earlier this month. It’s a firm indicator that the South Australian will be one of the major players for the 5000m national title.

But you cannot discount the ever-reliable Gregson. The seasoned veteran has all the experience one could ask for on the athletics scene, which bodes as a major advantage as she pursues yet another national title.

“We’ve got a lot of young guns around, I do feel like one of the more experienced ones out there but it’s great for the sport,” she said.

“It’s one of the strongest domestic fields we have had in the last five to ten years and that’s what makes it so exciting – you don’t know who is going to win.”

Gregson will attempt to take the doubt out of the equation when and where she makes her move on Saturday night – with the final goal a simple one.

“This race is a championship race and at the end of the day I want to win it,” she said.

An abundance of well-credentialed Australian middle-distance men will toe the line in what looms as a hotly contested national title, with Western Australia’s Matthew Ramsden (Nic Bideau) shaping up as the man to beat in the event - having clocked both an Olympic qualifier over 1500m and a swift 13:19.52 in 2021.

Ramsden’s notorious closing speed is suited to the traditional championship style of racing, but that is a factor that Brett Robinson (Nic Bideau) knows all too well – with the classy and experienced 2016 Olympic finalist undoubtedly looking to run the race on his own terms. 

The duel between the two favourites will be fascinating to watch, with Robinson more renowned for his strength over the marathon but proving his versatility when adding another national title to his illustrious list of crowns in January - winning the Australian 10,000m Men’s title at Zatopek in January.

Robinson clocked 13:23.69 at the Box Hill Burn on March 2 to finish behind Ramsden, and will be eager to even the ledger here.

Other contenders likely to throw their hat in the ring include 13:18.60 man David McNeill (Nic Bideau), Olympic 1500m finalist Ryan Gregson (Nic Bideau), 2:11 marathoner Jack Rayner (Nic Bideau), the workhorse that is Liam Adams and ever-improving Ben Buckingham (Nic Bideau).

You can catch all the action live and free on Athletics Australia’s Facebook and YouTube channels, or follow the socials for live updates of the Sydney Track Classic.

By Lachlan Moorhouse
Posted: 12/3/2021