Olympians Rayner and Gregson Crowned Australian Cross Country Champions

Despite strong challengers well into the last lap, Genevieve Gregson and Jack Rayner had claimed their maiden Australian Cross Country titles today at Stromlo Forest Park in Canberra.

MEN’S 10KM XC

From the gun and over the first two laps of the four-lap race, all the medal hopes were in the lead pack. Over half way into the race, one of the favourites, Australian 10,000m record holder Jack Rayner, made a move on the first hill, about 500m into lap three.

“I wanted to make it as easy as possible on the first two laps sitting in the pack and getting the wind broken for me,” said Rayner. “I knew Andy (Buchanan) and Ed (Goddard) were good competitors so I put the pressure on going up the hill on the third lap and tried to make a bit of a break, but Andy was really tough and stayed with me.”

“I know how Jack races,” said Andy Buchanan. “He puts in a really hard ‘k’ or two and then he relaxes and that is how he has won a lot of races. When Jack made the move I was actually sitting in fourth and I had to squeeze past the two guys in front of me, so he had got that jump on me and I was never really able to close it – there was just that awkward gap.”

The entire field were now strung out behind Rayner with Buchanan, a two-time winner of the race, in second and inform rising star from Victoria, Ed Marks in third. 

But Rayner couldn’t shake Buchanan.

“When you make a break you want to make it decisive and get a gap of 50m, but I was never able to open that up on Andy. He’s so good on the cross and I knew he would get stronger and stronger as he just lingering in a place which made me not comfortable. Then at five minutes to go on the last lap I gave it everything and broke him at that final stage.”

Rayner ran on to take the title in 30:01 minutes, from Buchanan with 30:07 and Ed Marks an excellent third in 30:15. Just returned from college in the US, Zach Facioni was fourth in 30:33, with defending champion Seth O’Donnell fifth with 30:36, from Ed Goddard with 30:44.

WOMEN’S 10KM XC

In contrast three women, after breaking from the field ran strongly together for most of the last two laps with all three looking capable of taking the title.

Australian steeplechase champion Gen Gregson and NSW’s duo Leanne Pompeani and Holly Campbell were the quality in the field. At the World Cross Country trial in January Pompeani had placed second, Campbell fifth and Gregson 10th, but a lot has happened since then for all three. 

By the start of lap three Gregson, Pompeani and Campbell had broken away and early in the lap Campbell had taken a firm lead. After the same early hill on the last lap, Pompeani made a strong run for home with Gregson following her and Campbell dropping back.

A further kilometre into the race, going up the hill at the 9km mark, Gregson moved past Pompeani and ran on home for a seven second win in 34:43 minutes, from Leanne Pompeani with 34.50, and Holly Campbell in third with 35.04.

Pompeani had been in doubt and revealed she had had a MRI on her hamstring injury the night before the race and only decided on the morning of the event that she would run, primarily because it was on her home track. It was a stellar performance considering.
 
Earlier in the day Rio Paralympian Tamsin Colley from NSW defeated Victorian Georgia Powning. Colley clocked 5:14.0 from Powning’s 11:38.0, but importantly 38.40% to 37.82% on the comparison tables. In the men’s 3km Kyle McIntosh dominated the race clocking 9:44.0, well ahead of South Australia’s Jack White who clocked 11:24.0.

By David Tarbotton, Athletics Australia
Posted: 26/8/2023