Australia names team for inaugural Commonwealth Half Marathon

Athletics Australia have today announced seven athletes for the inaugural Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships, to be held in Cardiff, Wales early next month.

The race on October 7, and sanctioned by the Commonwealth Games Federation, honours the 60th anniversary of the 1958 British Empire & Commonwealth Games held in that same city.

The Australian team is headed by Commonwealth Games track star Celia Sullohern, who in her international track debut on the Gold Coast, placed fifth in the 5000m and sixth in the 10,000m.

Following his debut in the green and gold in March at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, DeJen Gebreselassie, lines up again for Australia in Cardiff. Gebreselassie, 25, was born to Ethiopian parents in a Sudan refugee camp, and aged 10 his family moved to Tasmania for a new life in Australia.

Also named in the team are four medallists from the national half marathon championships, Jack Rayner (first), Nic Harman (third), Marnie Ponton (second) and Casey Wood (third). Bronze medallist in the national cross country championships, Ed Goddard, completes the team.

Australian Team – Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships

Cardiff, Wales. 7 October 2018

Name                                      (coach, state, club)

DeJen Gebreselassie               (Sean Williams, TAS, Sandy Bay Athletics Club)

Ed Goddard                            (Nick Bromley & Nic Bideau, NSW, UTS Northern Suburbs)

Nic Harman                             (Rafael Baugh, WA, Front Runner)

Jack Rayner                             (Nic Bideau, VIC, Western Athletics)

Celia Sullohern                       (Scott Westcott, NSW, Newcastle Flyers)

Casey Wood                            (Grenville Wood, SA, Western Districts)

Marnie Ponton                  (Dick Telford, NSW, Up Coaching)