Athletics Australia – News – International line-up bolstered

Middle distance fans will witness the best in the world at the Sydney Track Classic and IAAF Melbourne World Challenge later this month, with Athletics Australia today confirming the start of a six-strong contingent of impressive runners.

Headlined by world 800m champion Eunice Sum (KEN) and her fellow Moscow 2013 medallists Mercy Cherono (KEN) and Isaiah Koech (KEN), the group also includes Daegu 2011 finalist Lauren Fleshman (USA), mile specialist James Magut (KEN) and pacemaker Andrew Rotich (KEN).

Setting the pace alongside national champion Kelly Hetherington (Vic) and the IAAF World Junior Championships qualified Georgia Wassall (NSW), Sum will start in the women's two-lap race in both Sydney and Melbourne. Laying claim to a personal best of 1:57.38, the 25-year-old last year won the Kenyan Trial before winning gold at the IAAF World Championships and going on to enjoy further success at the Stockholm (SWE) and Zurich (SUI) instalments of the IAAF Diamond League to close out her season.

Cherono is entered to start in women's 5000m in Sydney, the same event that she won a silver medal at the IAAF World Championships last year, before battling it out with Moscow 2013 finalist Zoe Buckman (Vic), London Olympian Kaila McKnight (Vic) and the Commonwealth Games B-Qualified Melissa Duncan (Vic) in the women's 1500m at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge.

The 22-year-old won the women's 3000m in Monaco (MON), Lausanne (SUI) and Birmingham (GBR) in 2012, and her international resume includes two IAAF World Junior Championships gold medals, victory in the 3000m at the IAAF World Youth Championships and two medals from the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

Koech headlines the men's 5000m at the IAAF Melbourne World Challenge, where he will run alongside IAAF World Cross Country Championships representatives Liam Adams (Vic) and Mitchel Brown (Vic), as well as Australian Flame Ben St Lawrence (NSW) and Collis Birmingham (Vic).

He won bronze in the same event at the 2013 IAAF World Championships, clocking 13:27.26 to ensure his place on the dais. The 20-year-old is also a two-time champion in the event at the Kenyan Athletics Championships, a world youth 3000m champion and a top-eight finisher in the event at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the IAAF World Championships in Daegu (KOR).

Becoming only the fifth man in history to break four minutes in the mile in Western Australia at the Go for 2&5 Perth Track Classic last month, Magut will turn his attention to the men's 1500m in Sydney and Melbourne.

Magut won the mile at the Prefontaine Classic as part of the IAAF Diamond League last year, before placing third in the event at the Bislett Games and the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games later in his season. He has won a bronze medal in the men's 1500m at the African Athletics Championships and will provide a strong rivalry for Commonwealth Games aspirants Jeff Riseley (Vic) and Joshua Wright (NSW).

The Sydney Track Classic is the second instalment of the Australian Athletics Tour on Saturday 15 March.

The IAAF Melbourne World Challenge is the first of a 15-meet series held across the globe, with Australia and the world's best athletes set to compete at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday 22 March.

For more information on the National Athletics Series, incorporating the Australian Athletics Tour, please click here.

To purchase tickets to both events, please follow this link  to the Ticketmaster website.

 Athletics Australia – News