Lisa Weightman

BIOGRAPHY

Since competing at her fourth Olympic Games in Japan in 2021, Lisa Weightman is running better than ever. Now aged 44, she has set two marathon PBs within six months in late 2022 and early 2023. She kicked off the golden six months with a 75 second personal best time of 2:24.00 at the Berlin Marathon in September 2022. 

In February 2023, she improved her personal best by another 45 seconds bringing her best time to 2:23.15 in Osaka.  Lisa moved from fourth to third Australian all-time. Incredibly, a week after Osaka, while she was still in Japan, she placed nineth in the Tokyo marathon in a time of 2:31.42.

In June 2023 she was selected for Australia to compete at her second world championship in Budapest. Her first appearance had been in 2009 in Berlin where she placed 18th. Budapest will be Lisa's 13th occasion in the green and gold and 17 years on the National team following her debut in 2006.

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Lisa Weightman started running with her dad and sister to develop her heart and lungs as a young girl. At high school she placed seventh in a race and said to her mum and dad “I want to train for it next time and win a medal.”

They supported her to do so and she trained around the Preston City Oval while her dad coached his football team. The following year she finished on the podium and made her first Victorian team. She won national junior medals in the 3000m, but the transition years to seniors were troublesome, battling stress fractures in the tibia. “I had a lot of my injury years as a runner when I was in my 20s, and I think the main reason I’m 44 and running PBs is that I started late and built up slowly,” said Weightman. “I was so injury-prone in my 20s, my coach Dick Telford and I made a decision to take things slowly over the years and try for longevity.  I think this approach has paid off.” 

"Throughout my career I have always looked up to Lisa Ondieki, who won silver for Australia at the Olympic Games.  To finally run as fast as she did in my career was the breakthrough I'd been working toward.  It was a dream come true."  "I have my family and importantly my husband Lachlan McArthur to thank for supporting me every day to achieve this goal together."

Aged 27, she made her international debut at the World Road Running Championships and within two years, at aged 29, she made her Olympic debut in Beijing. She placed a tremendous 33rd and commenced an impressive international championship career. 

In 2008, then 2009 she placed 20th and 17th respectively in the world cross country championships – one of only three Aussie women to claim two or more top-20 places in this event. In 2009 she was also 18th in the marathon at the world championships, then the equal second best by an Australian woman. The next year in 2010 she won the first of two Commonwealth Games marathon medals, third in Delhi and silver on the Gold Coast (2018). 

In 2012 at the London Olympics, she achieved probably her best career performance at a global meet, placing 17th - the fourth best performance ever by an Australian woman. In the Rio Olympics she placed 31st, two years ahead of her Gold Coast Commonwealth Games silver medal.

Amongst this glorious championship record, in 2017 she clocked her marathon personal best of 2:25.15 when placing fifth in the London Marathon, becoming the third fastest in Australian ever.

In August 2019, she won a fantastic half marathon race against Olympic team mates Ellie Pashley and Sinead Diver on the Sunshine Coast, breaking the Australian all-comers record with a time of 68:48. In January 2020 she clocked her second fastest marathon, 2:26.02, almost certainly sealing Olympic selection. 

In 2021 Lisa Weightman was selected for Tokyo, her fourth Olympic Games, continuing her enduring career, making up for lost time. She became just the eighth Australian in athletics to go to a record four Games. She joined marathoners Steve Moneghetti, Lisa Ondieki, Rob de Castella and Benita Willis as four-time Olympians. 

Aged 42, she become the third oldest Australian athlete to compete in athletics at the Olympics. In Japan, Lisa was magnificent achieving her second-best ever Olympic place of 26th, clocking 2:34.19 in the stifling heat.

"It did feel like a battlefield when we were all getting ready, ice baths, ice towels and the works. It has been an experience that we will never forget," said Lisa.

It was also Lisa’s fourth Olympics where she was top-35, an outstanding achievement.  

Lisa has a very different life than many other full-time athletes. She currently holds three huge roles – mum to little Peter, Associate Partner at IBM where she leads a team of 200 consultants who support technology for businesses around Australia and New Zealand, Olympic and two-time Commonwealth Games marathon medallist.  Lisa combines these commitments with public speaking opportunities, coaching and mentoring.

Lisa’s dad Peter was a player, coach and administrator in the VFL/AFL at clubs Fitzroy, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Carlton and Collingwood and her cousin Dale played for Richmond AFL. Lisa regards the late Kerryn McCann and Lisa Ondieki as her role models.  

Marathon Career

2:32:22 London - 13 Apr 2008

2:34:16 Olympics, Beijing - 17 Aug 2008

2:30:42 World Champs, Berlin - 23 Aug 2009

2:28:48 Nagano - 17 Apr 2010

2:35:25 Commonwealth Games, Delhi - 14 Oct 2010

2:29:23 Frankfurt - 30 Oct 2011

2:27:32 Olympics, London - 5 Aug 2012

2:29:09 Osaka - 27 Jan 2013

2:26:05 Melbourne - 13 Oct 2013

2:27:35 Houston - 17 Jan 2016

2:34:41 Olympics, Rio - 14 Aug 2016

2:25:15 London - 23 Apr 2017

2:28:45 Chicago - 8 Oct 2017

2:33:23 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast - 15 Apr 2018

2:29:11 New York - 4 Nov 2018

2:29:45 Chicago - 13 Oct 2019

2:26:02 Osaka - 26 Jan 2020

2:34:19 Olympics, Sapporo - 7 Aug 2021

2:25:55 Gold Coast - 3 Jul 2022

2:24:00 Berlin - 25 Sep 2022

2:23:15 Osaka - 26 Feb 2023

2:31:42 Tokyo - 5 Mar 2023 (22nd marathon)

@ 1 August 23 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au

World Athletics Profile https://worldathletics.org/athletes/australia/lisa-weightman-14271094