Melbourne Marathon Festival | PREVIEW

10 Olympians are set to take to the roads of Melbourne for this weekend’s Melbourne Marathon Festival, with the cream of the crop of Australian distance running set to ramp up their 2022 preparations and stake their claim for representative teams. 

Men’s Marathon: 

On the men’s side of the equation, the marathon presents as a battle in three with Brett Robinson (Nic Bideau) taking on Tom Do Canto (Gary Howard) and Ed Goddard (Gavin Burren). 

Robinson holds the best credentials in the field by a considerable margin, with the two-time Olympian possessing personal bests of 2:10:55 and 59:59 in the marathon and half marathon respectively. 

By his own admission, Robinson is yet to nail the marathon distance and produce a time on the clock that is reflective of his true capabilities – but that day may have to wait, with the 30-year-old focused on winning before returning to the track to chase the 10,000m qualifier for next year’s World Athletics Championships.

One man who will be interested in running fast is Do Canto, with the Sydneysider for Run Crew chasing another Australian tracksuit in 2022. Do Canto’s best stands at the 2:14:59 he mustered in Fukuoka in 2017, but a series of strong performances in recent times suggest the 35-year-old may have more to give over the 42.2km trip. 

The unknown in the race is Goddard who is set to make his marathon debut. The 24-year-old enigma has established a reputation for his spontaneous racing and training antics, notably running in excess of 200km per week and not being afraid to push the pace. After recently returning from the US after running in the NCAA Cross Country Championships for Iona, the only thing that is certain is that Goddard has the kilometres in his legs to give it a shake on Sunday. 

South Australia's Riley Cocks will also make his debut, with a 62:54 half marathon best to his name. 

Women’s Marathon:

Olympic duo Eloise Wellings (Nic Bideau) and Milly Clark (Philo Saunders) will go head to head in the women’s marathon, approaching the affair off contrasting preparations. 

Wellings recorded the fastest marathon debut by an Australian woman in history when clocking 2:29:42 in London in October, before backing it up last week with a 32:38 performance over 10km in Sydney. The 39-year-old has enjoyed a resurgence in 2021 after a break for the birth of her second child in late 2019, and she looks to have found a home in the marathon to continue her illustrious career in the green and gold. 

Clark on the other hand has targeted the Melbourne Marathon throughout her preparation, with a 33:02 10km in late October her most recent result. Clark holds a personal best of 2:28:08 from the 2019 Gold Coast Marathon, with the 2016 Olympian looking to break back into contention for Australian teams in 2022 in one of Australia’s most competitive events.      

Men’s Half Marathon:

Jack Rayner (Nic Bideau) has earned the title of king of the roads after dominant displays in classy fields in recent years, culminating in an Olympic debut in 2021 when competing in the marathon. On that occasion he battled with an injury-ravaged preparation, but after building back strongly he will be hard to beat in Melbourne.

It’s a tough task, but not an impossible one – with David McNeill (Nic Bideau) looming as a major threat along with Sam McEntee (Collis Birmingham) and Jack Bruce (Nic Bideau). McNeill’s resume shows a long list of Australian teams, including three Olympic Games, which is reflective of his consistency and class – with the 35-year-old more than ready to step up to the half marathon for the first time. 

Bruce has the luxury of early season races under his belt across a range of distances, whilst McEntee returns to competition after last being at Zatopek in January – with the 2016 Olympian only ever having raced 5km on the road. 

Women’s Half Marathon: 

This race could prove to be the battle of South Australia, with former training partners Jess Stenson (Adam Didyk) and Izzi Batt-Doyle (Nic Bideau) set to put on a show over 21.1km, whilst Canberra’s Leanne Pompeani (Des Proctor) Victoria’s Natalie Rule (Tim O’Shaughnessy) are not out of the equation. 

Stenson made an emphatic return to the marathon after the birth of her son Billy to clock 2:25:15 in Perth in October, proving that she has only improved on the fitness level that saw her compete at two Olympic Games and win two Commonwealth Games medals. 

Batt-Doyle most recently represented Australia at the Olympic Games in Tokyo over 5000m, but her endurance base suggests she will have no troubles on debut in the half marathon. The former University of Washington student is a consistent and strong performer across a range of distances, and undoubtedly has the foundations of a great road runner – one that is more than capable of taking the crown in Melbourne. 

Pompeani and Rule don’t hold the credentials of the two South Australians, but both are capable of registering strong performances on Sunday after promising preparations for the event. 

Men’s 10km:

Ryan Gregson (Nic Bideau) has been running rampant on roads around the country in recent months, but he is yet to come across Melbourne Track Club teammates Jordy Williamsz (Nic Bideau) and Joel Tobin-White (Nic Bideau). 

Gregson holds the advantage of race fitness heading into the encounter, with Williamsz and Tobin-White yet to open their seasons. Williamsz holds the fastest road 10km performance in the field with a run of 28:57 in December of 2020, whilst the former triathlete Tobin-White has a 62:03 half marathon to his name and is more than capable of inflicting some damage on Sunday. 

There is little separating the trio who are set to do battle for bragging rights within the group, with a quality finish expected between some very competitive men.  

Women’s 10km:

It’s hard to go past Rose Davies (Scott Westcott) in the women’s 10km event. 2021 saw Davies become an Olympian when competing in the 5000m at Tokyo, but her 10,000m prowess is no secret after her eye-catching 31:39.97 run to clinch the national title at Zatopek in January. 

Unseen since Tokyo, the 21-year-old will be looking to kick-start her season with a win in Melbourne. 

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 10/12/2021