Bird-Smith battles through the heat and humidity to finish 14th

It was Dane Bird-Smith and Rhydian Cowley’s turn to take on the energy sapping humidity and debilitating heat along the waterfront of Doha's Corniche, on Day Eight of the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.

While the temperature had dropped from the opening night when 28 runners withdrew from the women's marathon due to the brutal conditions, it was still 32 degrees Celsius and 70% humidity at 23.30 when the men’s 20km race walk started in the Qatari capital.

Dane Bird-Smith battled to stay with the lead pack and inside the top 10 for the vast majority of the race.  As the race neared it’s final stages it looked like the Commonwealth Games gold medallist may succumb to the conditions, but shear stubbornness saw the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist come home in 14th place, in a time of 1:32.11.

Rhydian Cowley would fall foul of the elements after clocking 58.30 for 12km of the 1km loop course.

Julian Spence will be the final athlete to compete along the Corniche tomorrow in the marathon.

Back at the stadium, on the track, Brianna Beahan, Michelle Jenneke and Celeste Mucci go in the 100m hurdles heats and both men and women’s 4x400m relay squads will also see action.

Out in the field, Brooke Stratton will be looking to see her way through Saturday’s qualification and make the Long Jump final, which takes place on the final day of Doha 2019.

Tomorrow’s action starts at 16:30 (23:30 AEST), broadcast live and exclusively on Eurosport Australia (Foxtel).