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2008 Chiba Ekiden team announced
Athletics Australia has selected its team for next month’s International Chiba Ekiden.
Ben St Lawrence (NSW), Shawn Forrest (VIC), Tim Rowe (NSW), Emma Rilen (NSW), Melinda Vernon (NSW) and Lara Tamsett (NSW) will combine as a mixed team in Chiba, Japan on November 23.
Clint Perrett (VIC) and 2007 team member Tara Palm (SA) are the respective reserves.
St Lawrence will lead the team off with the experience of lasts year’s event under his belt along with a 4th placing at the 2008 City to Surf.
Residing in Arkansas, United States and originally from Victoria, Forrest is the only running team member from outside New South Wales. His current form includes a 2nd place at the NCAA 10,000m championships in the US in 28:47.08 and a personal best performance of 28:24.44 at Auburn in May.
Rowe finished third over 5,000m at the NSW Championships and 6th in this year’s City to Surf.
Rilen placed third in the 5,000 and 10,000 metre events at the 2008 Australian Championships and second at the Australian Cross Country Championships (8km).
Vernon took out the 10,000m at the 2008 Australian Championship and has followed up with a 4th placing at this year’s City to Surf. She also was a member of Australia's bronze medal winning team at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh and the silver medal winning team at the 2008 FISU World University Cross Country Championships in France.
Youngest member of the team, Tamsett will run the final leg for the Australian team having produced impressive fourth place at the 2008 Australian Cross Country Championships.
The course is marathon distance (42.195km in total), with the legs as follows:
1st leg: men 5km
2nd leg: women 5km
3rd leg: men 10km
4th leg: women 5km
5th leg: men 10km
6th leg: women 7.195km
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