Athletics Australia – News – Forrest fires in Arizona

Australia's elite distance runners have turned on a big weekend all over the globe, Shawn Forrest's win in the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Arizona (USA) headlining the weekend's results.

Wasting no time in getting their 2011 campaigns under way, Forrest, Andrew Letherby and Benita Willis all kick-started the new year with strong performances to their names. 

The highest-placed of the Australians in action, Forrest claimed the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon title in 1:03.67 ahead of Irishman Alistair Cragg in 1:03.22.

The race was Forrest's second ever attempt at the half marathon distance, his only former appearance over  21.1km coming in Philadelphia (USA) in September last year where he placed eighth in a time of 1:02.44.

Also in the USA, 2002 Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist and 2009 world championships representative Andrew Letherby took on the Naples Half Marathon in Florida, placing eighth in a time of 1:05.42 behind race winner Nicholas Kurgat in1:03.25.

Letherby will now head to Japan to contest the Beppu Marathon on February 6, where he will continue his push for selection to the London Olympic Games in 2012.

Flying the flag for Australia's female distance community Benita Willis took to the start line of the XXIX Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville, the biggest event on the Spanish cross country calendar.

Willis covered the 8km course in a time of 27:05 to finish in seventh place behind Kenya's Vivian Cheruiyot in 26:02.

With just days to go until the IPC Athletics World Championships get under way in Christchurch (NZL) this Friday night and only weeks remaining until the Australian Athletics Tour kicks off in Brisbane on Friday, February 11, the nation's top athletes will be out and about all over the globe over the coming months as all eyes turn to the IAAF world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Athletics Australia – News