A galaxy of national distance running stars will again be on the start line for Sunday’s ASICS Half Marathon as part of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon weekend (6 – 7 July).

The Gold Coast Half Marathon has a history of attracting Olympic, cross country and road and track champions and this year’s men’s and women’s fields are no exception.

Lining up amongst the men on Sunday will be three previous Gold Coast Half Marathon winners – Liam Adams (2012), Lee Troop (2004) and Martin Dent (2006) and also the three placegetters from last year’s race – Adams, Harry Summers and Japan’s Shinichi Yamashita.

Adams, 26, from Melbourne, won on debut last year adding this race to a blossoming CV. He has twice taken out Sydney’s City to Surf (2011-12), has been second twice in the World University Cross Country Championships, was a commendable 23rd at the 2012 World Half Marathon Championships and for six consecutive years has been a member of the Australian World Cross Country Championships team.

However, eyeing the youngster will be two battle-hardened Aussie road running veterans – Troop and Dent, both former winners, both Olympians and neither preparing to give up the top spot without a fight.

Troop, 40, is not only an icon of Australian athletics, but is also a warm favourite of the Gold Coast Airport Marathon event. Not only has he won the Half Marathon (2004 1:02:54), but also won the Marathon here in 2006 (2:14:13) and the Southern Cross University 10km Run in 2009 (29:28).

He has represented Australia in the Olympic Games marathon in 2000, 2004 and 2008 and has two sub 2:10 marathons to his credit.

Dent, 34, made his Olympic marathon debut in London last year after solid performances in the same event at the 2009 World Championships and 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Summers, 22, is another youngster looking to upstage the older brigade. He followed his second here last year with another silver in this year’s SMH Half Marathon. He also represented Australia at the World Half Marathon Championships last year.

Sydney-based, UK citizen Ben Moreau, 31, has enough credentials to pose a threat. He has a half marathon PB of 1:04:27 (2012), competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games Marathon and was 11th in the 2010 London Marathon.

Melbourne’s Ben Ashkettle is also in the mix after setting a PB of 1:05:59 on the Gold Coast last year.

The apparently impenetrable wall facing the entire field is the long-standing race record of 1:01:16 set by Kenya’s Benson Masaya way back in 1992.

In comparison, the women’s record is ‘fresh’ – 1:09:00 set by Aussie Lisa Jane Weightman in 2010.

2013 hot favourite, Melbourne’s Nikki Chapple, has a PB that betters that time, but she has to bring that form to the Gold Coast.

Chapple, 32, ran a 1:08:37 when winning the 2010 Marugame Half Marathon in Japan. Her current form is good, with victory in this year’s SMH Half Marathon already to her credit.

Pushing her all the way is expected to be Adelaide’s Jessica Trengove, 25, who was second in this event in 2011 and then went on to represent Australia in the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics (2:31:17). Trengove has the distinction of running the fastest marathon debut by an Australian woman (2:31:02).

New Zealand’s Danielle Ingram-Trevis, 22, is another with claims on the women’s half marathon. She won the 2010 Auckland Half Marathon in record time (1:13:08) and was the NZ 10,000m track champion in 2011.

Abigail Bayley, 35, has the versatility to make an impact on Sunday. She was third in this event in 2011 (PB 1:13:40), but is also a state champion in 5000m, 10,000m and 10km road and won the 2008 Australian Long Distance Triathlon Championships.

Another event winner in the field is Perth’s Lauren Shelley, 36, who won the Gold Coast Airport Marathon in 2009. She also won last year’s Melbourne Marathon, which booked her a spot for the 2013 World Marathon Championships in Moscow.

Not to be discounted, Yuki Sakata and Miki Oka from Japan also have the ability to finish on the podium.

This year’s ASICS Half Marathon is also the host event for the Australian Half Marathon Championships for individuals and State teams, sponsored by Gold Coast Airport.

Leading chances – Men

Liam Adams

Race number: 1

Age: 26

Home city: Melbourne, Vic

Half marathon PB: 1:03:28 Gold Coast, 2012

Lee Troop

Race number:  2

Age: 40

Home city: Geelong, Vic

Half marathon PB: 1:01:00 Tokyo, Japan, 1999

Martin Dent

Race number: 3

Age: 34

Home city: Canberra, ACT

Half marathon PB: 1:02:16, Gold Coast, 2009

Harry Summers

Race number: 4

Age: 22

Home city: Sydney, NSW

Half marathon PB: 1:03:34, Gold Coast, 2012

Benjamin Ashkettle

Race Number: 5

Age: 24

Home city: Melbourne, Vic

Half marathon PB: 1:05:59 Gold Coast, 2012

Leading chances – Women

Nikki Chapple

Race number: 51

Age: 32

Home city: Melbourne, Vic

Half marathon PB: 1:08:37 Marugame, Japan, 2010

Jessica Trengove

Race number: 52

Age: 25

Home city: Adelaide, SA

Half marathon PB: 1:12:28 Gold Coast, 2011

Danielle Ingram-Trevis

Race number: 53

Age: 22

Home country: New Zealand

Half marathon PB: 1:13:08 Auckland, NZ, 2010

Abigail Bayley

Race number: 54

Age: 35

Home city: Melbourne, Vic

Half marathon PB: 1:13:40 Gold Coast, 2011

Miki Oka

Race number: 55

Age: 26

Home country: Japan

Half marathon PB: 1:14:00 Miyazaki, Japan, 2009

Lauren Shelley

Race Number: 57

Age: 36

Home city: Esperance, WA

Half marathon PB: 1:14:27 Fremantle, 2005

Yuki Sakata

Race Number: 58

Age:23

Home country: Japan

Half marathon PB: 1:13:14 Marugame, Japan, 2013

Race records

Male

1:01:16 Benson Masaya KEN 1992

Female

1:09:00 Lisa Jane Weightman AUS 2010

The Gold Coast Airport Marathon is a major highlight on Queensland’s event calendar, attracting people from more than 30 countries and showcasing the Gold Coast as a premier sporting event destination.

This year’s race program will feature the full 42.195km Gold Coast Airport Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10km Run, Suncorp Bank  5.7km Challenge and 4km and 2km Junior Dash races.

Runners and walkers also have the opportunity to dedicate their run and raise funds for the official charity Cancer Council Queensland or for a charity of their choice.

For more information, or to enter, visit www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au.