Australian XC Championships Preview: NSW Open

25 Aug 2022

Australian XC Championships Preview: NSW Open

Two of the best fields for years will assemble in Adelaide on Saturday to battle for the open men’s and women’s 10km Cross Country Championships of Australia. NSW athletes are well in the mix and expected to finish on the podium in both races.

After two cancelled years the National XC Championships are back with the 82nd edition being held at the Oakbank Racing Club on the outskirts of Adelaide.

OPEN MEN 10km

46 athletes will be on the line for the open men’s race with the 2019 second placegetter Andrew Buchanan (V), third placegetter Ed Goddard (N) and fourth placegetter Riley Cocks (SA) to be challenged by Victorian Liam Adams.

Both Adams and Buchanan were our representatives in the marathon at the Commonwealth Games and have both claimed this title twice.

Ed Goddard, 24, has run two marathons this year, 2:13 and 2:15, and will bring that strength to the start line in Adelaide. On a good day, he is on beatable.

Riley Cocks, who ran his debut marathon last December has been in PB form this year at distances from 3000m to 10km on the road. He joins a very good host State team including State XC champion Max Stevens, Olympian Matthew Clarke, 2021 Launceston winner Isaac Hayne and SA State XC runnerup Adrian Potter. They are favourites for the team event.

NSW’s will also be strong in the teams event with Arron Spiessberger-Parker, the NSW XC champion, a definite top-5 hope. NSW’s rising star in the event is Luke Hince, who turned 20 this month, and was second in the NSW XC race.

OPEN WOMEN 10km

In the women’s race, probably Commonwealth Games 5000m and 10,000m representative Izzi Batt-Doyle is favourite, but NSW pair Leanne Pompeani and Paige Campbell are strong prospects. Izzi is not long back from her successful Commonwealth Games campaign where she was eighth in both events. She will also largely carry the hopes of the host State. Supporting her will be Caitlin Adams – fifth in 2019.

The Inside Running Podcast guys also noted Victorian Georgia Hansen’s credentials.

NSW will start favoured for the teams title with a strong line-up supporting Leanne and Paige, including South African International Aynslee Van Graan, Newcastle’s Jess noble and Holly Campbell.

The race is the start of the build up to the Australian World XC trials in January and the World Athletics Cross Country Championships to be held in Bathurst on 18 February.

Four of the leading hopes have experienced this global event with Leanne Pompeani, Paige Campbell, Caitlin Adams and Aynslee Van Graan all competing at the event in 2019 in Finland.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Ed Goddard leads Victorian’s Andy Buchanan and Dave McNeill in the 2019 race in Wollongong (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)