Athletics Australia – News – Best road runners descend on Launceston

Australia’s best distance runners are racing in Tasmania this Sunday at the B&E Launceston Ten.

An impressive elite field has again been assembled for the seventh edition of the event, which incorporates the Australian 10km Road Running Championship. 

Five Olympians and many more Australian representatives will fight it out for $25,000 in prizemoney and even more if record bonuses are hit.

Australian 10,000m record holder Ben St Lawrence would have to start the favourite on paper.  He recently ran 27minutes 37seconds in Facebook’s hometown of Palo Alto, the same venue he set his national record of 27:24.95 in 2011.

On the same day at the same meeting this year, Liam Adams ran 28:16.  The last time the pair met in Tasmania was at the B&E Hobart Run The Bridge in February, where Adams won in an electrifying sprint finish.  As a previous winner of the B&E Launceston Ten, Adams could very well cause an upset on Sunday.

Two time race winner Marty Dent is returning again this year.  A great 2012 saw Dent place 28^th in the Olympic marathon and run the fastest 10km on the road by an Australian.

Adding to the elite end of the field is 3-time Olympian Lee Troop.  While its been 10 years since Troop ran his 10,000m PB, he is one of the most experienced road racers Australia has ever produced. 

Other contenders include Stephen Dineen, Ben Ashkettle, Jackson Elliot, Alan Craigie, Andrew White, Mark Kirwan and Patrick Nispel.

Tasmania’s top chances will come from Jake Birtwhistle, Grant Page, David Thomas, Josh Harris, James Hansen, Pat Smith, Dejen Gebreselassie, Doug Hamerlok and Brian Lyons.  
 
The women’s field is equally strong, featuring three previous race winners, including apair of Olympians.

2008 and 2012 race winner Lisa Weightman returns as the Australian 10km road champion.  Weightman ran the fifth ever fastest marathon time by an Australian when she finished 17^th atlast years Olympics and her coach Dick Telford knows how to prepare his athletes for the big races like this weekend.

Fellow Olympic marathon Jess Trengove is coming back to Launceston, after placing second to Weightman last year in 33:24.  Trengove will use the B&E Launceston Ten and the Gold Coast Half Marathon next month as her two lead up races to the World Championships in Moscow in August where she will run the marathon.

Joining Trengove in the marathon in Moscow will be course record holder Nikki Chapple.  The Melbourne athlete ran 32:33 when she took out the 2010 edition and will line up on Sunday as a genuine winning chance. 

The second ever fastest time on the course is 32:41, held by Sydney-sider Lara Tamsett.  Tamsett took out the 2011 race and like Liam Adams, has also won the B&E Hobart Run The Bridge and B&E Burnie Ten.  A 32:16 on the track in April shows she is in form ahead of her national representation in the 10,000m in Moscow in August.

Other podium chances include Linda Spencer, Susan Michelsson, Julie Norney, Casey Wood and Tasmanian’s Kate Pedley, Madeleine Oldfield and Natalea Smith.

There are two races as part of the event, with both starting and finishing at the Launceston Town Hall.  Race day timetable is;
9am – Start of 'Launceston Sport n Surf 2km' kids event
10am – Start of 'B&E Launceston Ten'
11:15am – Presentations 

Entries are still open today, but no entries will be take on the day. 

Athletics Australia –  News