Wellings heads to Gold Coast for London warm-up

Two-time Olympian and three-time Commonwealth Games representative Eloise Wellings will use the Southern Cross University 10km Run at this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon as one of her final preparations before the London world championships this August.

Headlining the field on Saturday 1 July, Wellings will run in the 10,000m on the track in London, in what will be her second time competing at the world championships after finishing 10th in the final of the 5000m in Beijing 2015.

Wellings returns to the Gold Coast after claiming the women’s ASICS Half Marathon title two years ago in the fifth fastest time ever, and is back on the racing circuit after a stellar 2016 which included top-10 finishes in the 10,000m and 5,000m events at the Rio Olympic Games.

The 34-year-old New South Wales runner recently placed third in the Launceston 10 (33:57) last week and will be the favourite take line honours this weekend.

She will be joined on the start line by three-time top-10 Southern Cross University 10km Run finisher Gemma Maini and last year’s third placegetter Katrina Robinson.

Maini, 30, recently represented Australia in the 10km race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Uganda and was the second Australian to cross the finish line behind fellow Victorian Anna Kelly. Maini will arrive in Queensland looking to carry her form and go one better than last year’s second place finish (34:26).

Five-time Zespri Junior Dash winner and 2km course record holder Katrina Robinson made her 10km debut last year and finished in a remarkable third place (34:27). A win for the 16-year-old Queenslander will have her join Australian running legends Pat Carroll and Michael Shelley as the only athletes to snare six victories at a Gold Coast Airport Marathon event.

World Cross Country representative and 2013 Southern Cross University 10km Run fifth placegetter Tara Palm and 2017 New Zealand 5,000m champion Laura Nagel round out the top five seeds in the women’s elite field.

The men’s elite field will be led by Riley Cocks who will be focused on adding a Southern Cross University 10km Run victory to his list of accolades after two fourth places in 2014 and 2015.

The Southern Cross University 10km Run will also feature the IAAF Oceania Area 10km Championships, Queensland 10km Road Running Championships, Australian University Sport Distance Running Championships and the Australian Open Running Club Championships.

The 39th annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be held on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 July.

Set to attract more than 27,000 participants of all ages and abilities, this year’s race program will feature the Gold Coast Airport Marathon over 42.195km, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, The Star Gold Coast 5.7km Challenge, Zespri 4km Junior Dash and Zespri 2km Junior Dash.

To enter or for more information visit goldcoastmarathon.com.au.

Interesting Facts

• Three runners have won the Southern Cross University 10km Run more than once – Kylie Risk, Alastair Stevenson and Michael Shelley.
• Kylie Risk (97-98, 01-02, 04) and Michael Shelley (04, 06-07, 10-11) have the most wins in the Southern Cross University 10km Run at 5.
• Pat Carroll and Lee Troop are the only runners to have won all three of the Southern Cross University 10km Run, ASICS Half Marathon and Gold Coast Airport Marathon.