29.10.2009

Best line up for battle of the Bolt

Australia’s elite distance community will be out in force in Noosa this weekend, hitting the streets of the sleepy Queensland town in a 5km road race as part of the annual multi-sport festival.

The 2009 race will again be a who’s who of distance and cross country running headlined by defending title-holders Collis Birmingham and Lara Tamsett, who return to Noosa aiming to back up their 2008 race victories.

Joining Birmingham in the elite men’s field will be Berlin world championships marathon representative and three-time winner of the Noosa Bolt Martin Dent, 2009 Chiba Ekiden teammate Tim Rowe and relay reserve Ben St Lawrence, Beijing Olympics 1500m runner Mitch Kealey, and 2008 third place-getter and Zatopek runner-up Bobby Curtis of the USA.

On the back of a stellar year Birmingham will enter Saturday’s run well-placed to defend his title, an honour he claimed in a time of 13:57 in 2008 just two seconds ahead of Flame teammate Jeremy Roff.

With new personal best times recorded over 1500m, the mile, 5000m and 10,000m in the past 10 months, including a new national 10,000m record, Birmingham has had one of the most outstanding seasons on the elite distance circuit and will be a force to be reckoned with this weekend.

Heading up the women’s field will be reigning champion Lara Tamsett, who after taking out the title in 2007 won last year’s race ahead of Olympic duo Benita Willis and Lisa Corrigan and now returns to Noosa looking for the coveted hat-trick of race crowns.

But the national 10,000m champion won’t have it all her own way when the gun goes off on Saturday afternoon, with a quality line-up of athletes set to take to the streets.

Joining Tamsett at the start line will be Beijing Olympics 1500m runner and podium finisher in Noosa in 2008 Lisa Corrigan, national marathon champion and sixth place-getter in 2008 Lisa Flint, former national steeplechase champion Melissa Rollinson, upcoming Chiba Ekiden representative Clare Geraghty, and relay reserve Eloise Wellings, winner of the event in 2006.

With two event victories already under her belt Tamsett enters Saturday’s run in ominous form, having recorded two new personal best times - over 5000m (15:51.43, April 17) and 10,000m (32:27.23, April 24) - since her last appearance in Noosa in 2008.

On the comeback trail from injury since her withdrawal from the World University Games in July, Tamsett placed ninth in the Women's 5km Challenge in London's Hyde Park in September, clocking 16:19 amidst a quality field of runners. She went on to finish fifth in the Great Capital Run, completing the 5km course in 16:16, and placed fifth over two miles at the Great North City Games in a time of 10:10.

With some of Australia's biggest names out to play this weekend and on the eve of the domestic season, the stage is set for a scorching showdown under the Queensland sun.