Athletics Australia – News – Launceston ready to host Australian Championships

Athletics Australia will head to Launceston (Tas) this weekend as the picturesque Tasmanian city plays host to the 2013 Australian Cross Country Championships and the 2013 Australian Road Walking Championships on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Held in conjunction with School Sport Australia and featuring more than 1000 entrants, the Australian Cross-Country Championships will be held at the Symmons Plains Raceway on Saturday 31 August.

Once again featuring a state-versus-state team competition whereby the first four runners to finish will combine the total of their places for a team score with the lowest crowned victor, recent City2Surf winner Ben Moreau (NSW) and his New South Wales Blaze teammates look like the team to beat in the open men’s 12km event.

Set to battle it out with squads from every Australian state, the squad of Moreau, five-time national cross-country medallist Russell Dessaix-Chin, 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships representative Hugh Williams, 2009 IAAF World Youth Championships representative James Connor, Brad Milosovic and Dylan Dudley will look to improve on their silver medal from last year.

Standing in their way are reigning champions Victoria, with IAAF World Cross Country Championships representative Mitchel Brown leading a six-man team that also features Anthony Aloisio, Steve Kelly, Brady Threlfall, Scott Vance and Andrew White.

In the women’s 8km event, Olympian Kaila McKnight (Vic) headlines the entry lists alongside Bridey Delaney (NSW), Sophie Barker (Vic) and Milly Clark (NSW), with the first event set to commence at 9:00am AEST. The timetable includes events for athletes aged Under 14, Under 16, Under 18, Under 20 and open men’s and women’s events, with athletes covering distances between 3km and 12km.

Competition in Launceston continues on Sunday, with rising walks star Dane Bird-Smith (Qld) set to compete for the first time since placing an outstanding 11th in the men’s 20km walk at the IAAF World Championships. He will be joined by his Australian Flame teammate Rhydian Cowley (Vic).

A joint venture between Racewalking Australia and the Athletics Australia member associations, the Australian Road Walking Championships also features a women’s event, also across 20km, which includes Summer Universiade representative Rachel Tallent (Vic) and provides an opportunity for athletes to record qualifiers for the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Taicing (CHN) next May.

Full coverage of the Australian Cross Country Championships and the Australian Road Walking Championships, including results and post-event reports, will be available here at athletics.com.au.

Australian Cross Country Championships
Saturday, August 31
Symmons Plains Raceway, Launceston (Tas)
For more information on this event, follow this link to the Australian Cross Country Championships event page.

Australian Road Walking Championships
Sunday, September 1
Symmons Plains Raceway, Launceston (Tas)
For more information on this event, follow this link to the Australian Road Walking Championships event page.

Athletics Australia – News