Four runners with personal bests in the low 2:07s, the defending champion and the charismatic Japanese 2013 winner setting himself for a 10th anniversary crack at the title will lead out a stellar men’s field in this year’s Gold Coast Marathon on Sunday 2 July. And an intriguing entrant sits atop the standings in the 43rd edition of the women’s event and the CPL Wheelchair Marathon welcomes a pair of Japanese elite athletes making their Gold Coast debuts.

The men’s marathon

Leading out an international-heavy top 10 elite field will be Eritrean Mogos Shumay (26) who has a wealth of international race experience in the 10,000m, half marathon and marathon and who brings the fastest personal best of the field, 2:07:10, into his debut Gold Coast race.

And Shumay knows what a full distance victory tastes like after his win in the 2018 Padova Marathon in Italy, and plenty of consistent marathon and half marathon results since.

But standing in his way will be several runners who know the Gold Coast course well, none-the-least last year’s famously blue haired winner, Japan’s Jo Fukuda, who ran away to an emphatic victory.

It was the second Gold Coast podium for Fuduka after his third place in 2018 where he ran his personal best 2:09:52, and he’ll be keen to take in the view from the top again while compatriot and second placegetter from last year Akihiro Kaneko is also returning and will be keen to turn the tables.

Another Japanese runner who needs little introduction is 2013 Gold Coast Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi (36) who will line up on the front row on the Gold Coast for the 10th time.

Joining the Gold Coast Marathon Legends Club is a remarkable achievement for one of the great personalities of this event and the man whose worldwide marathon achievements have delivered him plenty of accolades and a well-worn passport.

After struggling through last year’s Gold Coast event – remarkably making it to the finish after suffering a lower leg injury just after the 5km point of the race – Kawauchi bounced back to notch a stunning 2:07:35 in this year’s Osaka Marathon.

He’ll have plenty of Japanese company on the start line with 26-year-old Koki Yoshioka (PB: 2:07:28), Naoki Koyama (2:08:12), 2019 ASICS Half Marathon second placegetter Yuki Sato (2:08:17) and the third Yuki of the top 10, Yuki Takamiya (2:09:30).

Also in serious contention are Kenyans Wilfred Kimitei with a personal best of 2:07:22 and three-time Warsaw Marathon winner and 2022 Singapore Marathon champion Ezekiel Omullo (2:08:41) with the 2023 USA Half Marathon Champion Jacob Thomson (2:11:52) and fellow American Josh Izewski (2:12:45) also hoping for a strong performance.

Leading the challenge from Oceania is triple Commonwealth Games representative Liam Adams (VIC, 2:10:48) along with Caden Shields (NZL, 2:13:21), Reece Edwards (NSW, 2:13:23), Ed Goddard (NSW, 2:13:36) who took second in last year’s ASICS Half Marathon, Riley Cocks (SA, 2:16:56), Matt Baxter (NZL, 2:17:15) and marathon debutant Tim Vincent (QLD) who was third in the ASICS Half Marathon last year.

The women’s marathon

Kenyan Florence Kiplagat, the winner of two Berlin and two Chicago marathons has chosen the Gold Coast course for her return to racing after four years of illness and worldwide coronavirus disruption and seven years after her last major marathon win.

The 37-year-old journeywoman Kiplagat, who boasts the fastest personal best of the field at 2:19:44, has competed at international level across every discipline from 1500m to cross country to the marathon. She has also broken the half marathon world record twice during her career.

And she won’t have to look far for friendly voices of experience as she eyes USA’s Lindsay Flanagan’s 2022 race record of 2:24:43 with the reigning titleholder absent.

Kiplagat will be joined on the starting line by compatriots Ruth Chebitok (PB 2:21:03) and Rodah Tanui (2:23:14), the 2018 and 2019 winners of the Gold Coast Marathon respectively, with Tanui upping the favouritism ante just last month with victory in the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon.

They’ll make a formidable trio but will be joined on the front row by an athlete who probably knows the Gold Coast course best in two-time ASICS Half Marathon winner and five-times Commonwealth Games representative, Australian Eloise Wellings.

Wellings (NSW) has a marathon personal best time of 2:25:10 from the 2022 Nagoya Marathon in Japan which ranks her the fifth fastest Australian women ever over the classic distance.

Other Aussies set to take their spot at the front of the field include marathon debutant Genevieve Gregson (QLD) who ran 1:11:57 at this year’s Gifu Half Marathon in Japan after a successful leap from track to road, Marnie Ponton (NSW, 2:31:54) who placed third at the 2021 Melbourne Marathon and Vanessa Wilson (VIC, 2:39:52) who is ever on the improve after following up her 12th on the Gold Coast last year with fourth in last October’s Melbourne Marathon.

Japan, which has delivered no less than 14 winners in the Gold Coast full distance women’s race will be ably represented by Haruka Yamaguchi (2:26:35) from our sister-race in Kobe and Shiho Kaneshige (2:28:51) who placed third last year in the fastest women’s marathon ever seen on the Gold Coast.

Others international runners in contention include New Zealand-born American-based Rochelle Basil (2:39:18) and Kiwi Olivia Whitney (2:40:01), a former Estonian now living on the Gold Coast in Riine Ringi (2:42:29) and Hong Kong’s top hope Cheuk Ning Wong (2:43:17).

And in a significant announcement this week, Events Management Queensland has confirmed that the highest placed Queensland men and women’s finishers will once again wing their way to Japan to compete in November’s prestigious Kobe Marathon after reignition of the twin race partnership.

CPL Wheelchair Marathon

Headlining the CPL Wheelchair Marathon are Japanese elite wheelchair athletes Mr. Kota Hokinoue and Ms. Tsubasa Kina. Hokinoue has a marathon personal best time of 1:20:54 and finished seventh at the Boston Marathon in April and Kina won the women’s wheelchair race at the 2020 and 2021 Tokyo Marathon and is the Japanese national record holder (1:35:50).

Out to spoil the Japanese party will be Newcastle’s Christie Dawes who won this event in 2000 and 2016 and is the Gold Coast race record holder (1:43:45).

Dawes has competed at an amazing seven Paralympics from Atlanta in 1996 to Tokyo in 2021 and in addition to her two Gold Coast race wins she has placed second in 2019 and 2022.

The 2023 Gold Coast Marathon race weekend will feature the Gold Coast Marathon, CPL Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Southern Cross University 10km Run, CPL Wheelchair 10km, Gold Coast Airport 5km Fun Run and the Health and Wellbeing Queensland 2km and 4km Junior Dashes.

The Gold Coast Double 63.3km event – contested by runners competing in both Saturday’s half Sunday’s full marathon – is also on the program.

The Gold Coast Marathon is organised by Events Management Queensland and is proudly supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism and Events Queensland, and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.

Events Management Queensland acknowledges and pays respect to the Kombumerri people of the Yugambeh language region, the Saltwater People of the Gold Coast, as the traditional owners of the lands and waters upon which we invite and welcome participants from across the globe to experience our events.

People wanting further information on the 2023 Gold Coast Marathon events can visit www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au.

 

Elite men’s field at the 2023 Gold Coast Marathon

Mogos Shumay (ERI)	2:07:10 (Eindhoven, 2021)
Wilfred Kimitei (KEN)	2:07:22 (Seville, 2023)
Yuki Kawauchi (JPN)	2:07:27 (Lake Biwa, 2021)
Koki Yoshioka (JPN)	2:07:28 (Osaka, 2023)
Naoki Koyama (JPN)	2:08:12 (Tokyo, 2023)
Yuki Sato (JPN)	2:08:17 (Tokyo, 2022)
Ezekiel Omullo (KEN)	2:08:41 (Ljubljana, 2019)
Yuki Takamiya (JPN)	2:09:30 (Lake Biwa, 2021)
Jo Fukuda (JPN)	2:09:52 (Gold Coast, 2018)
Liam Adams (AUS)	2:10:48 (Lake Biwa, 2020)
Akihiro Kaneko (JPN)	2:11:39 (Osaka, 2022)
Jacob Thomson (USA)	2:11:52 (Sacramento, 2022)
Josh Izewski (USA)	2:12:45 (Houston, 2022)
Caden Shields (NZL)	2:13:21 (Hamburg, 2022)
Reece Edwards (AUS)	2:13:23 (Rotterdam, 2021)
Ed Goddard (AUS)	2:13:36 (Sacramento, 2022)
Shumpei Oda (JPN)	2:15:54 (Tokyo, 2020)
Taiyo Akiyama (JPN)	2:16:06 (Tokyo, 2023)
Riley Cocks (AUS)	2:16:56 (Melbourne, 2022)
Matt Baxter (NZL)	2:17:15 (New York, 2022)
Dave Ridley (NZL)	2:17:20 (Sydney, 2021)
Dean Menzies (AUS)	2:17:41 (Osaka, 2023)
Kieren Perkins (AUS)	2:17:54 (Amsterdam, 2022)
Tim Vincent (AUS)	Debut

 

Elite women’s field at the 2023 Gold Coast Marathon

Florence Kiplagat (KEN)	2:19:44 (London, 2011)
Ruth Chebitok (KEN)	2:21:03 (Vienna, 2022)
Rodah Tanui (KEN)	2:23:14 (Copenhagen, 2023)
Eloise Wellings (AUS)	2:25:10 (Nagoya, 2022)
Haruka Yamaguchi (JPN)	2:26:35 (Osaka, 2020)
Shiho Kaneshige (JPN)	2:28:51 (Osaka, 2020)
Marnie Ponton (AUS)	2:31:54 (Melbourne, 2021)
Rochelle Basil (NZL)	2:39:18 (Frankfurt, 2018)
Vanessa Wilson (AUS)	2:39:52 (Melbourne, 2022)
Olivia Witney (NZL)	2:40:01 (Tokyo, 2023)
Simone McInnes (AUS)	2:40:28 (Gold Coast, 2022)
Riine Ringi (EST)	2:42:29 (Canberra, 2021)
Cheuk Ning Wong (HKG)	2:43:17 (Hong Kong, 2021)
Melissah Gibson (AUS)	2:43:48 (Seville, 2022)
Kelly Parlane (NZL)	2:44:29 (Melbourne, 2019)
Genevieve Gregson (AUS)	Debut

 

Elite wheelchair field at the 2023 Gold Coast Marathon

Kota Hokinoue (JPN – M)	1:20:54 (Seoul, 2013)
Tsubasa Kina (JPN – W)	1:35:50 (Oita, 2019)
Christie Dawes (AUS – W)	1:42:59 (Rio de Janeiro, 2016)
Jacqueline Godfrey (AUS – W)	1:59:24 (Gold Coast, 2022)
Matthew Brumby (AUS – M)	2:25:17 (Gold Coast, 2019)