Olympians return to the track for State 5000m Championships

Published Tue 23 Nov 2021

Tokyo Olympians Isobel Batt-Doyle and Matthew Clarke will run their first races on the track since their Games debut's in July, when they compete in Saturday's State 5000m Championships at the SA Athletics Stadium.

Batt-Doyle will not only be returning to the track, but running her Olympic distance (5000m), where she placed 28th overall with a time of 15:21.65.

SA Olympians Matthew Clarke and Isobel Batt-Doyle will be running in this Saturday's State 5000m Championships.

Batt-Doyle said it was last year's State 5000m Championships race that catapulted her pursuit on an Olympic Games debut.

The Flinders Athletic Club runner claimed the State Title in a time of 15:26.48, ahead of Caitlin Adams (Hills Districts AC), and Tara Palm (Adelaide Harriers).

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The event will kick off at 6.20pm, after Copyworld Interclub 4, with the Open Women's A race scheduled to commence at 8pm, followed by the Open Men's A race.

Olympic 3000m Steeplechaser, Clarke (Hills Districts AC) will also be trying to retain his State 5000m title.

He ran 13:52.86 in last December's event to edge out Isaac Heyne (then Pembroke AC, now Hills Districts) and Adrian Potter (Adelaide Harriers), who each broke the 14-minute barrier.

Olympic 3000m Steeplechaser, Matthew Clarke of Hills Districts Athletics Club crossing the line to claim the 2020 State 5000m title.

Batt-Doyle said participating in the State 5000m Championships provided her a time to reflect on the last 12 months.

"This will be my first race back on the track, and at my Olympic distance, and it's interesting to reflect back on the year, because a year ago (at the State 5000m) I ran a 15-second PB and broke the State Record," she said.

"It was a massive highlight in my running career - it started the season which became an Olympic debut.

"This time around I am not expecting a PB or to break a record, I will be out there just racing the field and I always race to win.

"It's special to be back racing in a home event, and with Run As One (my coaching group), I am coaching a lot of athletes who will also be lining up in the Men's and Women's events, which is very rewarding for me."

Both Clarke and Batt-Doyle have competed in road races since returning from Japan, with Batt-Doyle recently winning the Noosa Bolt last month, after being edged out by Adams in the Burnie 10, while Clarke ran second to Heyne in September's State Road 5km Championships and ran alongside Jessica Stenson when she clocked her Marathon PB in Perth last month.

Batt-Doyle said she was once again expecting to have a close battle with Adams.

"It will be a hotly contested Men's event, with a lot of competitors running under 15 minutes, and in the Women's event I am expecting a competitive field," she said.

"Caitlin always runs hard and she has had a phenomenal season, running PBs in every discipline so she will be hard to beat, and there will be some other great runners in the mix - I am expecting a great show."

Batt-Doyle after winning the State 5000m in December last year.

Batt-Doyle said she was also training to compete in the Melbourne Half Marathon, which will take place in three weeks time, her first Half Marathon event.

SA Performance Coach, Adam Didyk, who coaches State 5000m competitors Clarke, Adams, Heyne, Jess Pascoe and Max Stevens in his Team Tempo coaching group, said it was always exciting when an Olympian runs in SA.

"Whenever we have an Olympian run, it's great," Didyk said.

"We haven't had a great deal of exposure to that in SA so any time that an Olympian can run, it's a great showcase to our sport.

"It gives all the athletes competing a challenge and they get to understand what they need to do and where they need to be.

"This is great for SA."

Didyk was anticipating an exciting battle in both the Men's and Women's races.

"Last year's Men's State 5000m Championships had the fastest winning time in the country (Clarke's 13:52.86) and the most number of runners under 14 minutes, so we hope to do something similar this year," he said.

"Isaac (Heyne) is in great shape, Matthew (Clarke) is returning well from his Olympics experience and Max (Stevens) is in the best form I've seen him in 18 months.

"I am expecting a tight race between the three of them, and we also have some good runners from interstate expected to come over in Joe Burgess (NSW) and Sam Clifford (Tasmania) if borders permit.

"In the Women's side Caitlin (Adams) and Izzi (Batt-Doyle) will have another great battle, while it will be good for Jess (Pascoe) to run a State 5000m, her first since recently relocating from NSW."