Paris-bound Australian marathoner Jess Stenson (1:10:59 PB) will be hoping for the best 2024 Olympic preparation possible when she lines up in the Saturday 6 July Gold Coast Half Marathon.

She’s a huge name in a stellar line up of Australian running champions who’ll join her on the start line alongside an international field of serious challengers who’ll also line up on the day.

It’ll be a final hit out on familiar streets for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games marathon champion who knows the Gold Coast streets like the back of her hand and will be keen for the course and conditions to deliver the perfect Paris preparation.

Another who knows the Gold Coast streets well is 2017 and 2018 winner of this event Sara Hall who went on to set an American half marathon record of 1:07:15 in Houston in early 2022, before it was lowered by a slender four seconds by Emily Sisson five months later.

Forty-one-year-old Hall just missed out on a USA Olympic berth for Paris but will arrive here keen to snare the double of countrywoman Keira D’Amato’s 1:06:39 race record from last year and Weini Kelati’s USA record of 1:06:25 set at the 2024 Houston Half Marathon.

Eloise Wellings (1:09:29) won this race in 2015 and 2022 and will want to stand on the top step again in such a class field and again show the enviable depth of Australia’s distance running stocks.

Meanwhile another evergreen, 35-year-old, Australian Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games marathoner Ellie Pashley (1:09:14) will be keen to complete the trophy set after her second in this race in 2019 and her third in 2022.

Leanne Pompeani (27) again steps up to run the 21.1km after her famous Southern Cross University 10km victories of 2016, 2019 and 2022 and on the back of notching a career-best 1:09:07 second in this race last year.

She would dearly like to go one better and plonk a fourth Gold Coast winner’s trophy to her already crowded mantlepiece.

The North America front row flavour continues in the form of Canadians Andrea Seccafien and Natasha Wodak who bring into the race closely matching PBs of 1:09:38 and 1:09:41 respectively.

They also know how to set a best mark with Seccafien the Canadian half marathon national record holder and Wodak the Canadian women’s full distance marathon national record holder.

Meanwhile determined Japan trio Rinka Hida (1:10:10), Yukari Nagatomo (1:10:34) and Moe Shimizu (1:10:37) will be doing all they can to get a Japanese woman’s name on the winner’s trophy for the first time since 2008.

ASICS Gold Coast Marathon, Half Marathon and Southern Cross University 10km Run are currently at capacity. There is still an opportunity to be a part of the action and enter the CPL Wheelchair Marathon and 10km Wheelchair event, the Gold Coast Airport 5km, the Gold Coast Bulletin 2km or 4km Junior Dash or the Wheelchair 4km race.

Events Management Queensland proudly delivers the annual Gold Coast Marathon presented by ASICS, Toowoomba Marathon presented by Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport and the biennial Pan Pacific Masters Games and is proudly supported by Experience Gold Coast and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.

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.

Elite Half Marathoners – Women

Sara Hall (USA) 1:07:15 (Houston, 2022)

Leanne Pompeani (AUS) 1:09:07 (Gold Coast, 2023)

Ellie Pashley (AUS) 1:09:14 (Sunshine Coast, 2019)

Eloise Wellings (AUS) 1:09:29 (Marugame, 2016)

Andrea Seccafien (CAN) 1:09:38 (Marugame, 2020) NR

Natasha Wodak (CAN) 1:09:41 (Houston, 2020)

Rinka Hida (JPN) 1:10:10 (Osaka, 2023)

Yukari Nagatomo (JPN) 1:10:34 (Yamaguchi, 2024)

Moe Shimizu (JPN) 1:10:37 (Yamaguchi, 2024)

Jessica Stenson (AUS) 1:10:59 (Marugame, 2018)