Australian Mile Titles to be Decided at Bankstown’s Albie Thomas Mile

With just over two weeks until the commencement of the 2024 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships, a host of the nation’s top athletes will apply the finishing touches to their preparation at the Albie Thomas Mile in Bankstown tomorrow night – doubling as the Australian Mile Championships.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Abbey Caldwell (Gavin Burren) is one of only three Australian women in history to shatter the four-minute barrier over 1500m and is the nation’s third fastest miler of all-time at 4:20.51, landing in Bankstown to chase her second Open Australian title after winning the 1500m crown in 2022.

Warming into her season with two wins from three starts over 800m at the Chemist Warehouse Summer Season, the 22-year-old will now step up to her traditional discipline fresh off a 1:59.71 performance over 800m at the Sydney Track Classic.

Freshly crowned Australian 10,000m record holder Lauren Ryan (Lara Rogers) will sharpen up her Australian Championships 5000m campaign by first contending the mile title in Bankstown, while Maudie Skyring (Craig Mottram) has only dealt in personal bests in 2024. Skyring has clocked swift times over 1500m (4:07.96), 3000m (8:42.96) and 5000m (15:25.24) – will her mile career-best of 4:33.86 be the next mark erased?

Already lowering his 1500m personal best from 3:37.53 to 3:33.64 this season, Jesse Hunt (Craig Mottram) is forging his case as an Olympic year bolter, set for a showdown with Jack Anstey (Stephen Haas) who is off to white-hot start on the short track circuit in the United States.

Anstey set an Australian short track 1000m record of 2:16.95 in February before delivering a slick 3:51.51 mile earlier this month – narrowly outside of Oliver Hoare’s Australian short track record of 3:50.83.

While the mile is not an Olympic event, qualification is possible for the 1500m, with the qualifying standard set at 3:50.40 for men and 4:20.90 for women – providing an added incentive for fast times in the Australian title bouts.

Adding to the middle-distance action, Jessica Hull (Simon Hull) is poised to race her first 800m since 2020, with her recent record rampage likely to see her rewrite her 2:03.78 personal best against the likes of Bendere Oboya (Craig Mottram) and Imogen Barrett (Craig Mottram) – looking to add a sub two-minute 800m performance to her decorated resume. Oboya joined the 1:59 club at the Adelaide Invitational with a Paris qualifier of 1:59.01, bettering the 1:59.30 Olympic standard.

Teen sensation Cameron Myers (Dick Telford) will take on Olympic hero Peter Bol (Justin Rinaldi) and rising star Luke Boyes (Ben St Lawrence) in the Men’s 800m, as Bol looks to commence his Australian summer in style after overcoming a hamstring injury. Boyes posted the fastest run of his career at last week’s Sydney Track Classic in 1:45.86, while the defending champion Myers drops down in distance after his Australian 3000m title.

Olympian Sarah Carli (Melissa Smith) will also take to the track in the Women’s 400m Hurdles after opening her Paris hurdling campaign in 55.37 at the Canberra Track Classic, set to be challenged by Marli Wilkinson (Daniel Bailey) who is enjoying a breakthrough season and Isabella Guthrie (Angus McEntyre).

For full start lists and more information, click HERE.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 27/3/2024