SA runners shine on the Gold Coast

Published Mon 04 Jul 2022

Isaac Heyne. Photograph: Asics Australia

Dozens of South Australian runners lined up on the start line at the Gold Coast Marathon Festival over the weekend, with local athletes Isaac Heyne, Jacob Cocks and Jessica Stenson stepping on the podium following their respective races.

Find the fill list of results here

Hills Districts Athletics Club runner Isaac Heyne took out the 10km race on Sunday, crossing the line first in a PB 29:03, ahead of Wan Chun Wong (29:27) and Arron Spiessberger-parker (29:33).

"Winning was the goal going into the race, but I wasn't sure if I was even going to the Gold Coast or not until last week," Heyne said.

"To go up there and run well, having not targeted this race specifically was a nice surprise - I think there is scope to refine that PB even further.

"The pace was steady early, Jordan Gusman (fourth - 29:39) was setting the pace and he was looking good, so I sat off him and then at the 5km mark everyone dropped off so I decided to go for it, and wound it up in the second half of the race - I made my way home by myself from the 6.5km mark.

"Saturday was terrible weather for the Half Marathon, but Sunday was perfect so we timed it well for the 10km - it was as good as it gets.

"The atmosphere was awesome, there were stacks of poeple at the 300m finishing shoot, but it was so loud all along the course."

This was Heyne's first race back on Australian soil, following a two-month training camp in the US where he was based in New Mexico and competed at meets in California and Tennessee.

"The US was a lot of fun, the Track meets were really great - the Americans do it really differently and the atmosphere was incredible," he said.

"I ran a PB 5000m (13:30.82) early on, and I am now trying to eye off Fitzy's (David Fitzsimons - 13:17.74) record and run a qualifier for World Championships next year - they are big goals, but it's the next target.

"I learnt a lot over there in America, I learnt what it takes and that helps me set those goals and targets a little bit loftier."

Heyne is off on his next overseas journey next week, heading to England and Ireland as part of Australia's U23 Team, a replacement event for the cancelled 2022 World University Games, which were scheduled to be held in China during June and July.

"That (the UK trip) will be a lot of fun, I will be reinforcing what I learnt in the US and putting it into practice in the UK," Heyne said.

"We will be competing at the English U23 Championships (July 16-18), the AAI Games in Dublin (July 23-25) and the English Open Championships (July 30-31)."

Joining Heyne on the US training camp were training partners Caitlin Adams and Adam Goddard (as well as Matthew Clarke and Max Stevens), who also ran the 10km on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

Adams finished fourth in the Women's race in a time of 33:03, while Goddard finished 15th overall in 30:46.

In the signature event of the weekend - the Gold Coast Marathon - Jacob Cocks of the Flinders Athletic Club ran sixth overall (second Australian over the line), managing a PB 2:19:03.

Japanese runners Jo Fukuda (2:10:55) and Akihiro Kaneko (2:14:25) were the first two across the line, while Amaury Paquet (Germany) finished third and Samuel Gabremichael (Etheopia) fifth.

Louis McAffee was the first Australian over the line (fourth overall), running 2:17:50, leaving Cocks to pick up a Silver Medal in the Oceania Championship.

South Australia had a strong representation in the Half Marathon.

Hills athlete Jessica Stenson - who will run the Marathon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games later this month - finished second in the Women's Half Marathon, running 1:11:35 on Saturday morning.

NSW runner Eloise Wellings who will also run the Commonwealth Games Marathon won the Women's Half Marathon event in a time of 1:10:53.

Adelaide Harriers runner Adrian Potter was the first South Australian across the line in the Men's Half Marathon, finishing ninth in a PB 1:05:02.

Potter is in good form, having won SA's Open Men's State 10km Road Championship title in May.

Harrison Bagley finished 19th overall (1:08:02), Luke Mitchell 25th (1:09:23), and Riley Cocks 46th (1:11:37) were other SA runners to finish in the top 50.

Timon Sideris of the Hills Districts Athletics Club broke his own Australian T20 Half Marathon Record, running 1:23:34.

Team SA - 2022 Australian Half Marathon Championships

Athletics SA is currently in the process of selecting a team to represent the State at the 2022 Australian Half Marathon Championships, which will be held as part of the Sunshine Coast Marathon on Sunday, August 14.

If you would like to be considered for Team SA selection please email admin@athleticssa.com.au your name, DOB, email, mobile number, seed time and the qualifying event/date.

The team will be selected on Tuesday, July 5, so get your details to Athletics SA today.