13 competitors (11 men and two women) will go around Fawkner Park in Melbourne competing in the Australian 50km Road Walking Championships this Sunday.
There are seven Australians in the field, including four-time Olympic medallist, three-time World Championship medallist and the current Olympic record holder in the 50 km walk Jared Tallent, and Doha World Championship representative Rhydian Cowley.
Jared is arguably Australia’s greatest Olympian but is recovering from injury which hasn’t allowed him to finish a 50km race since the Rio 2016 Olympics, will he be able to get there this weekend?
After a DNF in the 20km race in the 30 degree and 80% humidity temperatures in at the Doha World Athletics Championships, Rhydian Cowley is stepping up to the 50km, which he will race for the first time on the weekend.
Also featuring in the event is Perseus Karlstrom, who fresh off his bronze medal at the Doha World Athletics Championships is favourite to win the event this Sunday.
In the women’s race: Kelly Ruddick, the Victorian is tipped to win after she finished last year’s race in 4.54:31.
The invitational 20km men’s and women’s races are throwing in some great talent with Tom Bosworth GBR, who finished 7th at the Doha World Championships, along with plenty of other greats in the men’s field.
In the women’s 20km, a star-studded Australian line-up is taking part including: Jemima Montag, Beki Smith, Rachel Tallent and Claire Woods.
The event is on Sunday 1 December and kicks off with the men’s and women’s 50km race walk at 7:00am (AEDT).
