Three dip under 29 minutes in year's best 10,000m

25 October 2020

Three dip under 29 minutes in year's best 10,000m

First held in 1945, the men’s NSW 10,000m championship was world class in the ‘60s and into the ‘70s, but around that time, Melbourne’s Zatopek event assumed the mantle as the leading annual 10,000m in Australia. But last evening in wet conditions in Sydney, we saw three athletes dip under 29 minutes, stamping it as one of the best for decades.

Interestingly, a recent hard-fought NSW cross country 10km event proved to be in accurate as a form guide. On paper it looked like the big guns to watch would be James Nipperess (Sydney Uni) - NSW XC champion and with a 28:55 at the 2019 Zatopek; Ben St Lawrence (Run Crew) – third at both recent XCs and a dual Olympian and former Australian 10,000m record holder; Ed Goddard (UTS Norths) – was an improved second at the recent XC and 29:04 10,000m athlete; Kieren Tall (Run Crew) - a 28:52 10,000m athlete who as a DNS and DNF at the two NSW XC races this year; and Kevin Batt (Sutherland) – Australian-born Irish international with a 13:39 5000m best.

The athletes had planned to share the pacing duties, and all was going well, until lap 16, around 6.5km, when Goddard noticed a slowing of the pace and picked it up. Nipper immediately dropped off the pace, while Tall and St Lawrence tried to join him. Goddard explained:

“We had to run 69 flat (splits), but then two laps before we were running 70s,” Goddard recalled. “So, I thought we should pick it up if I’m leading and I feel good I may as well get back on pace. But I probably picked it up too quickly. I looked around and no one was coming with me. I called back to Ben to see if he wanted to take a lead, you are more than welcome.”

But it would be Tall who would sneak up on Goddard.

“I said to Kieren (Tall) do you want to lead? He said yep. I said you lead two and I will lead two. He led one only and said, take the lead back.”

Goddard then led the next two laps.

“I then asked Kieren to lead, but he replied ‘I’m beggared.’ But he wasn’t too beggared has he hung around.”

Goddard ran on to win in an 18 second PB time of 28:45.84, with Tall also clocking a PB of 28:47.94. St Lawrence was always in touch and closed well to clock 28:50.80. Nipperess got past Batt in the later stages as they clocked times of 29:24.04 and 29;27.87 respectively.

“I’m glad I was able to close in 63,” said goddard. “I don’t think I’ve been able to run one of them for a few years.”

WOMEN 10,000m

In contrast the women’s race was a solo win and upset to Lauren Reid (Delta Running), over the more fancied Marnie Ponton (Bankstown). Reid clocked 33:52.45 for the title, just nine seconds outside her PB, while Ponton 34:40.16 was a minute from her PB. But third placegetter Aynslee Van Graan (Run Crew) ran well on debut over the distance on the track, clocking 35:41.28, 38 seconds under her 10km road PB.

Reid pursued a different race plan than normal.

“I didn’t attack it like I normally do. I thought it would be a bad idea to do my usual go to the front, go really hard for 25 laps. So I tried to be pretty conservative and get in a comfortable bubble and sit there and see what happens.”

She distracted herself thinking about what she would eat for dinner or who she would run the next day with.

“I had no idea what times I was running for the laps, but I felt like I was running fairly even and I wanted to do that and not get too caught up in times.”

With a great distance range of 2:03 (800m) and 4:12 (1500m), the 35-year-old was asked about her event plans as it is usual for athlete to move up the distance ladder.

“I’m still enjoying running fast and still feel like there is more speed to come out of me. The year has been really good for me. I’ve been able to do layer upon layer of consistent training, no injuries, no illnesses. I’ve never really been able to do that. So I still want to see what I have over 8 and 15, then after that I’d do the 5 and 10.”

Results http://www.nswathletics.info/liveresults/

Race & video interviews https://www.facebook.com/AthleticsNSW

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Ed Goddard leads Kieren Tall (courtesy of Daniel Laus)