Quality fields for the 7th Albie Thomas mile

17 December 2020

Quality fields for the 7th Albie Thomas mile

The seventh annual Albie Thomas mile, to be held this Saturday night at The Crest at Bankstown, is set to be the best in the history the race. In these COVID times, form for many is a mystery and for many of the NSW/ACT athletes the mile represents a shorter distance than they have contested this year, but favourites are Ollie Hoare and Linden Hall with threats galore, led by Jeff Riseley and Jenny Blundell.

MEN

The best depth ever in this race lines up in 2020. Ollie Hoare features as the favourite. In August he recorded the fastest mile in the world for the year (3:53.35) and now sits at number four for 2020. That was his most recent race until he clocked a 2:23.84 1000m last week at the Sylvania Waters Track. His biggest threat will be two athletes at the opposite ends of their career. Three-time Olympian, Jeff Riseley at 34, first wore the green gold at the 2007 world championships, while Canberra-based South Coast athlete Jye Edwards, 22, (BAN) won the national junior 1500m title in 2017 and has been on the rise since.

Victorian Jeff Riseley, clocked 3:43 a year ago, but has had to negotiate the stricter Melbourne lockdown in 2020. However in his season debut two weeks ago, Riseley clocked 1:52 over 800m, then 47 minutes later (thanks Sean Whipp for the details) ran 3:47 in a 1500m – impressive work !

Jye Edwards, in the Dick Telford-stable, has run solidly in 2020, but in some races, due to his injury history, has been under instructions to race at less than 100%. His recent 13 seconds 3000m PB form, indicates he is firing and the mile will suit him better than the recent longer races. His PBs are 3:41.69 (1500m) and 4:00.2 (mile).

Training partners with Edwards, James Nipperss (SYU) and Josh Johnson (BAN) are more suited to a slightly longer distance, but Nipper’s recent form can’t be ignored and he probably feels his mile PB is vulnerable. They own PBs of Nipperess 1500m/mile 3:41.03/4:04.41 and Johnson 3:39.40/4:00.83.

Other key athlete to watch:

• Victorian Adam Pyke PB 3:40.02 (2017), more recently running 800s and a 3:46 1500m.
• Yosef Gemechu PB’s last summer of 1:49.50/3:46.00.
• Josh Phillips, more suited to 3000m plus but ran 3:47 over 1500m (in 2017) and could surprise.
• Two Randwick Botany boys Richard Newell and Joseph Ryan are fresh from recent PB runs of 3:46 and 3:48 and should carve seconds from their best in a fast race.
• Queensland teenager Elliott McGaughran is on the rise after clocking 3:46 last summer.
• Ed Beischer, a 21-year-old Victorian, is in form off the back of his 3:47 PB this month in Melbourne.

WOMEN

At the Rio Olympics, teammates Linden Hall (VIC) and Jenny Blundell (SYU) ran outstandingly, both progressing to the 1500m semi-final. Here they will be the favoured pair for the 2020 Albie Thomas mile. National record holder Hall, has not raced this summer, while Blundell has been clocking a number of official and unofficial quick 5000m times.

NSW 10,000m champion Lauren Reid who, although having a tremendous range, has recently stated she wants to fully explore the metric mile before graduating up the distance. She ran 4:12.83 over 1500m last summer and her mile PB of 4:40 should bd destroyed on Saturday evening.

Then looks a five-way battle between 4:16-17 metric milers, Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (BAN), Georgia Winkcup (UTN), Holly Campbell (SYU), Keely Small (ACT) and Imogen Stewart (ILL).

Jaylah Hancock-Cameron has bounced back to some very good form this summer with a pair of 2:06 800m times. World Championship steeplechaser Georgia Winkcup clocked 4:17 in Europe last year, but has not shown any form as yet this summer, but she can never be written off.

It is fair to say when the Campbell (SYU) twins emerged, Holly was achieving superior times, but in recent years Paige, has passed her. But this summer Holly is on the return with a very impressive 9:24 3000m last week. She looks capable of returning to her 4:17 1500m form from 2017 and certainly her mile PB of 4:48 will go.

Keely Small and Imogen Stewart have in recent weeks run 4:16-17 and look ready to destroy their mile PBs of 4:42 and 4:44 respectively.

Others to watch:

• In her best form for years, under coach Ben Liddy, Kate Spencer (UTN) may find it a little short.
• Also inform Victorian Lauren Ryan, with recent times of 15:59 (track 5000m) and 32:58 (10k road, 6th in Launceston), may find the distance too short.
• Imogen Gardiner, a 4:20 1500m athlete, is making her track debut this summer after running cross country in winter and recently competing her HSC.

Details of the meet on Saturday 19 December, are below. There will be a live stream, live results and social media from the event, along with a wrap up on the website on Sunday – see Athletics NSW website and socials.

https://www.revolutionise.com.au/bankstownsport/home/

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Images: Ollie Hoare in a recent 1000m at Sutherland (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)