Record numbers line up for the 30th Gold Coast Airport Marathon

A REASONABLY unfancied Japanese runner and a 37-year-old mother from New Zealand took the men’s and women’s spoils at the 30th annual Gold Coast Airport Marathon which drew a record number of 21,001 people today.

Kazuo Ietani (2:14:17) and Shireen Crumpton (2:38:16) beat the marathon record field of 3,935 runners to claim their respective victories.

For Osaka-based Ietani it was a back up of sorts to his fellow countryman Toyokazu Yoshimura’s 2007 victory.

Crumpton’s win saw her become the first female in over two decades to become a repeat winner of the 42.195km Gold Coast event, previously claiming victory in 2003.

Three-time Sydney Marathon winner Julius Maritim (2:15:19) and fellow Keyan Joel Kiplimo Kemboi (2:17:05) filled the minor men’s places while Queenslander Rina Hill (2:45:59) and Roxie Schmidt from Moffat Beach Queensland (2:47:56) followed Crumpton over the line in the womens’ race.

Ietani’s win was his first in six attempts over the full marathon distance.

“When I overtook the second placegetter [Maritim] it gave me confidence,” he said.

Maritim said he was prepared mentally and physically for today’s challenge, but had some unexpected footwear problems.

“I had a problem with my socks. They were new and slippery.

“I’m going to be in Australia for a month and a half in total. I’ve got two weeks left of my stay and I’ll be training and trying to get my body to recover for the Sydney Marathon in September,” he said.

Crumpton appreciated the light rain that fell during the race.

“The rain was quite welcome today.

“2003 was my last marathon win and I’ll definitely be back to the Gold Coast. It was my third marathon here – it’s nice to have a win again.

“Even though I’ve run marathons before I was still a bit nervous. My strategy was to go out hard and I’m happy with my time,” she said.

Second placegetter Hill, who finished over seven minutes in arrears of Crumpton, found herself running alone for the bulk of the race.

“My time wasn’t as quick as I’d like but the conditions weren’t ideal.

“The second half was a struggle by myself but I tried to keep positive - I’m really happy though,” she said.

Earlier in the day Queensland’s Michael Shelley ran the race of his life to take out the Asics Half Marathon.

The supposed pacesetter in the race for Beijing-bound Lee Troop and three-time Gold Coast 10 Km Run winner (2004, 2006 and 2007) ran a perfectly timed race, crossing the line in 1:02:27.

“It was my debut over this distance,” he said.

“I was very happy with my performance,” he said.

“I’m very surprised to win. I was doing it to train for City to Surf. I really can’t believe it,” the Oxenford-based former cross country champion and Griffith University Bachelor of Business student said.

And while Shelley was justifiably elated with his win, Troop (1:02:43) was left to ponder an opportunity lost.

“At 16km I thought ‘shoot’,” he exclaimed.

“I dug deep with everything I had.

“He [Shelley] ran unbelievably well. I wasn’t expecting him to finish so quick (sic).

“I already had in my mind what I was going to do but he [Shelley] changed my whole mindset.

“It’s not a bad run but it didn’t pan out as I hoped. I’m ticked at myself but I definitely got what I needed out of it.

“Physically I’m fine, mentally I’m angry,” he said.

 ACT runner Martin Dent was third in a time of 1:03:35.

In the women’s event, Japan’s Yoko Nishimi took the spoils in 1:12:44 from compatriot and good friend Yoshie Uehashi (1:12:50) and New Zealand’s Rowan Baird (1:13:47).

All three women were running in their first Gold Coast event.

“There was a bit of wind but it was a flat course and it was good,” Nishimi said.

The Southern Cross University 10km Run saw holidayers Melbourne’s Sarah Klein (35:43) and Ben St Lawrence from Centennial Park in Sydney (00:29:42) claim victory.

“I’m really happy with my result,” said Ben.

“I came up from Sydney for a weekend away and I’m racing in Launceston next in the 10km event so I’m hoping to repeat my win there,” he said.

Sarah decided to enter the event on a whim.

“I came up from Melbourne on a holiday with my grandparents and I only found out that this event was on yesterday and decided to enter,” she said.

“It will be sad to go home on Tuesday but I’m going to Sea World this afternoon – should be fun,” she said.

The Wheelchair Asics Half Marathon was taken out by Victorian Brett McArthur.

“I’ve competed in half marathons about half a dozen times. I’m really stoked I had such a good preparation,” he said.

Maddison Yarrow from Thornlands Queensland (09:09) and Japan’s Reo Okubu (08:09) took out the girl’s and boy’s 2.25km Junior Dash respectively while Katelyn Simpson from Highland Park won her third 4km Junior Dash in a row by taking out the 2008 event in a record 13:19.

Sherwood’s Chevy Black won the boy’s 4km event in 13:03.

A record 21,001 participants faced the starter for today’s events, shattering last year’s record of 16,172. That number easily surpasses the event’s largest participation increase in any one year.

4707 interstate participants were complemented by an international contingent of almost 2500 with 1839 runners and walkers from Japan.

There were entries from 29 countries and every Australian state and territory – all in the running for a share of the largest prize pool of any accredited marathon event in Australia.

Queensland Events Gold Coast Chairman, Kerry Watson, said it was a ‘considerable achievement’ to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon with such significant numbers.

“Ironically our participant numbers increased 30 percent in our 30th year,” Mr Watson said.

“That’s way above the 18,000 we targeted as an improvement this time last year and is just reward for the people of the Gold Coast in terms of our staff, organisers, volunteers and participants.

“An increase of 47% in our Japanese runners also shows enormous potential of the Gold Coast as a sports tourism destination and something we are keen to keep building upon in the future,” he said.

The Gold Coast Airport Marathon is organised by Queensland Events Gold Coast which is a major event management company wholly owned by the Queensland Government through Queensland Events Corporation.

For more information race to www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au.

ENDS

Results – Please refer to official results for confirmation.

Full Marathon

Male
1.    Kazuo Ietani (Japan) – 02:14:17
2.     Julius Maritim (Kenya) – 02:15:19
3.    Joel Kiplimo Kemboi (Kenya) – 02:17:05
4.    Matt Smith (Christchurch, New Zealand) – 02:19:34
5.    Rowan Walker (Page, ACT) – 02:19:36
6.     Chia Che Chang (Brisbane, Queensland) – 02:20:27
7.    Nobuaki Takata (Japan) – 02:20:28
8.    Herman Oscar Cortinez (Argentina) – 02:23:30
9.    Deep Chad – 02:23:31
10.    Jay Phillpotts (Boronia, Victoria) – 02:29:04

Female
1.    Shireen Crumpton (New Zealand) – 02:38:16
2.    Rina Hill (Samford Valley, Queensland) – 02:45:59
3.    Roxie Schmidt (Moffat Beach, Queensland) – 02:47:56
4.    Bethany van Loenen (Coorparoo, Queensland) – 02:49:17
5.    Lisa Flint (Coolangatta, Queensland) – 02:49:23
6.    Gina Grayson-Cassey (Floreat, Western Australia) 02:52:49
7.    Yuka Maekawa (Japan) – 02:55:37
8.    Melanie Burke (New Zealand) – 02:57:03
9.    Glenda Banaghan (Toowong, Queensland) – 02:58:09
10.   Vivian Tang (Singapore) – 02:59:36

Half Marathon

Male
1.    Michael Shelley (Oxenford, Queensland) – 01:02:41
2.    Lee Troop (East Geelong, Victoria) – 01:02:57
3.    Martin Dent (Cook, ACT) – 01:03:49
4.    Tetsuo Nishimura (Japan) – 01:04:19
5.    Tukasa Morita (Japan) – 01:04:38
6.    Naoki Okamoto (Japan) - 01:04:44
7.    Yoshihiro Shimazawa (Japan) – 01:04:45
8.    Scott Westcott (Carrington, New South Wales) – 01:04:48
9.    Tim Rowe (Centennial Park, New South Wales) – 01:05:01
10.   Takuya Okada (Japan) – 01:05:07

Female
1.    Yoko Nishimi (Japan) – 01:12:58
2.    Yoshie Uehashi (Japan) – 01:13:05
3.    Rowan Marie Baird (Chapel Hill, Queensland) – 01:14:01
4.    Sayaka Morikawa (Japan) – 01:14:26
5.    Azusa Nojiri (Japan) – 01:16:34
6.    Ai Satoh (Japan) – 01:16:41
7.    Eliza Stewart (Marsfield, New South Wales) – 01:17:04
8.    Susan Michelsson (Aspendale, Victoria) – 01:17:06
9.    Yuka Yamazaki (Japan) – 01:17:14
10.   Billinda Schipp (North Rocks, New South Wales) – 01:17:29

Wheelchair Half Marathon
1.    Brett McArthur (Mulgrave, Victoria) – 00:51:02
2.    Patrick Baker (Elanora, Queensland) – 00:55:56
3.    Daniel Trollope (Southport, Queensland) – 00:56:49
4.    Ian Rohde (Canterbury, Victoria) – 00:58:08
5.    Bill Chaffey (Kingscliff, New South Wales) – 00:58:42
6.    Ron Gibson (Castle Hill, New South Wales) – 01:05:04
7.    Kyane Samuels (Warrangamba, New South Wales) – 01:15:37
8.    Lee Warn – 01:18:16
9.    Brett Odgen (Oakville, New South Wales) – 01:18:16
10.   Alan Ashford (Holland Park West, Queensland) – 01:18:47

10KM Run Male
1.    Ben St Lawrence (Centennial Park, New South Wales) – 00:29:42
2.    Scott McTaggart (Belconnen, ACT) – 00:29:49
3.    Courtney Atkinson (Mermaid Waters, Queensland) 00:30:14
4.    Hinsta Mebrahtu (West End, Queensland) – 00:30:45
5.    David Thomas (West Launceston, Tasmania) –00:31:00
6.    John Polson (Sorrento, Queensland) – 00:31:03
7.    Michael Harrison (North Rocks, New South Wales) 00:31:11
8.    Brett Tingay (New Brighton, New Zealand) – 00:31:26
9.    Christopher Reeves (Eastern Heights, Queensland) 00:31:43
10.   Tim George (Alexandra Headland, Queensland) 00:31:53

10KM Run Female
1.    Sarah Klein (Melbourne, Victoria) – 00:35:43
2.    Kylie Risk (Lauderdale, Tasmania) – 00:35:49
3.    Kiyomi Niwata (Japan) – 00:36:10
4.    Verity Tolhurst (Cronulla, New South Wales) – 00:36:11
5.    Jenna Challenor – 00:36:17
6.    Ashleigh Gentle (Robina, Queensland) – 00:36:19
7.    Lee Furst (Hawthorne, Victoria) – 00:36:35
8.    Hannah Menday (Beecroft, New South Wales) – 00:37:59
9.    Leshay Wells (Banora Point, New South Wales) 00:38:14
10.  Julia Davies (Yeronga, Queensland) 00:38:44

4KM Junior Dash

Male
1.    Chevy Black (Sherwood, Queensland) – 00:13:03
2.    Ned Verwey (Mt Eliza, Victoria) – 00:13:17
3.    Ben van Dorsselaer (Toowoomba, Queensland) – 00:13:29
4.    Freddy Ovett (Southport, Queensland) – 00:13:32
5.    Trent Wyvill (Burleigh Heads, Queensland) – 00:13:47
6.    Luke Hargreaves (Unley Park, South Australia) – 00:13:50
7.    Benjamin Eastwell (Robina, Queensland) – 00:14:13
8.    Tayte Dixon (Hervey Bay, Queensland) – 00:14:26
9.    Kye Wylde (West Burleigh, Queensland) – 00:14:32
10.  James Franklin (Korora, New South Wales) – 00:14:35

Female
1.    Katelyn Simpson (Highland Park, Queensland) – 00:13:19
2.    Jodie Duff (Mount Ommaney, Queensland) 00:14:07
3.    Eliza Bizacott-Speer (Mitchelton, Queensland) – 00:14:10
4.    Brittany Forster (Burleigh Waters, Queensland) – 00:14:17
5.    Lauren Mewing (Tarragindi, Queensland) – 00:14:34
6.    Lizzy Bagnall (Palm Beach, Queensland) – 00:14:34
7.    Emily Bevan (Burpengary, Queensland) – 00:14:55
8.    Jenna Fulton (Robina, Queensland) – 00:14:55
9.    Tenielle Stubbs (Central Bucca, New South Wales) – 00:15:12
10.   Erica Anania (Tweed Heads South, New South Wales) 00:15:14

2.25KM Junior Dash

Male
1.    Reo Okubo (Japan) – 00:08:09
2.    Lachlan Irvine (Elanora, Queensland) – 00:08:27
3.    Jayden Waldron (Narangba, Queensland) – 00:08:27

Female
1.    Maddison Yarrow (Thorlands, Queensland) – 00:09:09
2.    Maddizon O’Malley – 00:09:28
3.    Millie Xavier (Benowa, Queensland) – 00:09:29

Record Entry Figures

• This year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon has 21,001 entrants.
• This is the largest field ever assembled for an Australian marathon event.
• The full marathon (42.195km) has the second largest field assembled in an Australian marathon, only behind the 2000 Host City Marathon in Sydney.
• All of the events have record participation.
• The overall increase of 4,828 is the largest increase in any one year (30% up on last year).
• There are 7,188 participants from outside Queensland including 2,481 from overseas.
• This year’s field is more than double the field in the 2002 Gold Coast Airport Marathon which was 9,499.

Since 2002, the Gold Coast Airport Marathon has achieved the following entries:

• 2002 – 9,499
• 2003 – 11,063
• 2004 – 11,804
• 2005 – 12,711
• 2006 – 13,814
• 2007 – 16,172
• 2008 – 21,001