PREVIEW | Australian 35km Race Walks Championships

Many put their feet up as the arrival of December sees the festive season reach full swing, but the nation’s premier racewalkers are set to keep their feet down at the Australian 35km Race Walks Championships this Sunday – with tickets to Budapest high on the Christmas wish list.

The small but strong contingent will descend upon Melbourne’s Fawkner Park to chase national titles and qualifying times ahead of the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, with Olympic duo Declan Tingay (Brent Vallance) and Rebecca Henderson (Simon Baker) tipped to take chasing down on current form.

Only the second Australian 35km Championships after the inaugural titles were won by Rhydian Cowley and Kelly Ruddick in May, the distance introduced in lieu of the Men’s 50km to achieve gender equality is quickly drawing similarities to the 20km event – facilitating the double for many athletes at major championships moving forward.

Tingay is quick to concede he feels a mix of nerves and excitement ahead of Sunday, with the 23-year-old set to make his debut over the distance having already represented Australia in the 20km at the Olympic Games and World Championships, along with silver in the 10,000m walk at this year’s Commonwealth Games.

“It’s my first time over the distance so I kind of feel the same way I felt going into my first 20km race. There is that fear of the unknown, not being sure of what it is going to feel like beyond 25km, but I am excited because we get to race and racing is fun,” Tingay said.

“I am going for the qualifier; the pace is soft. That 2:29 pace is not a hard speed to maintain but it will be the physical and mental fatigue beyond 25-30km that I’m a bit more nervous about.”

The magic number Tingay alludes to is the World Championships qualifying mark of 2:29:40 for men equating to an average pace of 4:17/km, with the women’s standard standing at 2:51:30 – an average pace of 4:54/km which leaves Henderson quietly confident.

“The automatic qualifier is the main goal so that I have the opportunity to double in Budapest, it would be great to tick off the auto – that will allow me to focus on the 20km in February,” Henderson said.

“Based off the last World Championships, it has shown that you can do the double and the women had the same podium, which is good to know that you can do both. That is what I have my eye on leading into Paris.”

Tingay will be tasked with dismantling Olympians Rhydian Cowley (Brent Vallance) and Kyle Swan (Jared Tallent), along with World Championship representative Carl Gibbons (Frank Overton), if he is to clinch the title – taking on a small field of fierce competitors as he lays his 2023 foundations.

“I’m a bit disappointed that the calendar is so quiet in 2023, I’m not sure what I’m going to fill my time with. I’m sure we will head overseas and find some competitions, but the last 12 months have been awesome bouncing between training locations and races,” Tingay said.

Henderson has it slightly easier which is rarely said in a field that includes Australian sensation Jemima Montag (Brent Vallance), but with Montag recovering from illness and just beginning to hit her straps after her Commonwealth Games gold over 10,000m and fourth place finish in the 20km at the World Championships – the door is ajar for 21-year-old to win her maiden national title.

“It’s been good to move into the senior ranks pretty quickly now. The first season was a bit of a struggle but last year I did a lot better and I just hope to keep improving. I was supposed to go World Juniors in 2020 but it got cancelled, which was a blessing in disguise because I got to go to the Olympics and everything like Commonwealth Games and World Championships since,” Henderson said.

International competitors Siu Nga Ching (Hong Kong) and Anett Torma (Hungary) round out the women’s field, with Ching a Hong Kong representative at the Tokyo Olympic Games where she finished 35^th in the 20km, and Torma possessing a personal best of 3:24:39 over 35km.

Headlined by the Australian 35km Championships, the program also includes 20km races featuring Olympian Katie Hayward (Steve Langley) and World Under 20 Championships representative Olivia Sandery (Jared Tallent) who finished fourth in Cali, while Australian representative Will Thompson (Brent Vallance) will lead the men.

The Under 20 races over 10km showcase emerging talents Elizabeth McMillen (Bill Nappin) and Marcus Wakim (Adam Garganis).  

The races commence at Melbourne’s Fawkner Park at 7:30am AEDT, Sunday December 4.

TIMETABLE:

7:30 AM - Men 35k Race Walk RR Open Finals

7:30 AM - Women 35k Race Walk RR Open Finals

7:30 AM - Men 20k Race Walk RR Open Finals

7:30 AM - Women 20k Race Walk RR Open Finals

8:00 AM - Men 10k Race Walk RR Under 20 Finals

8:00 AM - Women 10k Race Walk RR Under 20 Finals

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 30/11/2022