Photo: Courtesy of Jessica Trengove 

American distance running, cross country and steeplechase star Sara Hall and Glasgow Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medalist Jessica Trengove will headline one of the most formidable female ASICS Half Marathon elite fields in Gold Coast Airport Marathon history on Sunday 5 July.

The highly anticipated showdown between event ambassador Hall and Olympic marathoner Trengove will be the second time the two women go head-to-head this year after racing the San Diego Rock n Roll Half Marathon in May.

27-year-old Trengove managed to edge Hall to the finish line by 21 seconds with a personal best time of 1:11:07 and is hoping a similar result will be enough to finally claim the ASICS Half Marathon crown, which doubles as the IAAF Oceania Area Half Marathon Championship, after finishing second twice (2013 & 2011) and third in 2010.

However, 32-year-old Hall is a major threat having recorded quality times across various distances over the past 18 months including a fourth place 1:10:50 half marathon personal best at the 2015 US Half Marathon Championships in Houston and a 32:14 10 kilometre personal best in Boston last year.

A win at the ASICS Half Marathon for the 2012 US National Cross Country champion, who is making her first trip to Australia with Olympic marathoner and husband Ryan, will boost her confidence leading into the 2016 US Olympic Marathon Trials held next February in Los Angeles.

Trengove and Hall’s battle for the ASICS Half Marathon title will be tested by a number of Australian women who have recorded impressive results over recent months including Eloise Wellings, Cassie Fien, Milly Clark, Sinead Diver and Julia Degan.

2012 London Olympian and three-time Commonwealth Games Australian representative Eloise Wellings will arrive on the Gold Coast in scintillating form. Her aim will be to record three half marathon wins from three starts after claiming first place in her debut half marathon earlier this year (1:10:41, Marugame) and again at the 2015 Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon in 1:13:20.

The three-time Australian 10,000m champion (2009, 2010 & 2014) and 2015 Launceston 10km winner (32:56) will use the ASICS Half Marathon as a final hit out before representing Australia in the 5,000m event at the World Championships in Beijing later this year.

Settling for second place behind Wellings at the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon was Queenslander Cassie Fien (1:15:19) who will be looking to continue her podium streak by improving on her 2009 ASICS Half Marathon performance which saw her cross the line in second place with a personal best time of 1:11:45.

2014 ASICS Half Marathon champion and 2013 Southern Cross University 10km Run second placegetter Milly Clark will return to the flat and fast course to defend her title and is a serious contender after breaking the tape first at the 2015 Christchurch Half Marathon in 1:14:09, just five seconds short of her personal best.

37-year-old mother of two Sinead Diver, who followed Clark across last year’s finish line in second position with a personal best 1:14:25, will use the Gold Coast as a final hit out before travelling to Beijing to represent Australia in the marathon at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in August.

The Irish-born Victorian and 2012 Australian Half Marathon champion rapidly rose through Australia’s running ranks after committing to the sport four years ago and is hopeful her performance in China will lead to her racing in the marathon at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Joining Diver in Beijing to represent Australia in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships will be Julia Degan who qualified for the team after claiming third place on debut at the 2014 Melbourne Marathon (2:43:52).

Degan’s half marathon personal best 1:19:02 (Sydney, 2014) may be slightly slower than the rest of the field but she will be determined to run a fast race in preparation for her representative duties at the World Championships.

Boasting the fastest half marathon personal best in this year’s elite field is 2011 World Championship marathoner and 2011 Yokohama International Women’s Marathon second placegetter Remi Nakazato from Japan who recorded 1:10:03 in Yamaguchi in 2009.

Fellow Japanese citizen Yuka Koga (1:14:28) and 2015 Christchurch Half Marathon second placegetter Lydia O’Donnell (1:14:40) round out the women’s elite field.

The 2015 IAAF Oceania Area Half Marathon Championship is open to all athletes who are registered with an Oceania Federation (including associate members) and meet the IAAF rules for International Competition. The first three open men and women Oceania athletes to finish the ASICS Half Marathon will be presented with Oceania Championship medals. 

Women

Remi Nakazato (JPN) 1:10:03
Eloise Wellings (NSW) 1:10:41
Sara Hall (USA) 1:10:50
Jessica Trengove (SA) 1:11:07
Cassie Fien (QLD) 1:11:43
Milly Clark (NSW) 1:14:04
Sinead Diver (VIC) 1:14:25
Yuka Koga (JPN) 1:14:28
Lydia O’Donnell (NZL) 1:14:40
Julia Degan (NSW) 1:19:02

Previous IAAF Oceania Area Half Marathon Championship Winners (Australian unless noted otherwise)

The Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be held on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July in one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world in Queensland, Australia.

It is set to attract more than 27,000 participants of all ages and abilities across a number of events including the Gold Coast Airport Marathon, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, Wheelchair 15km, Southern Cross University 10km Run, Suncorp Bank 5.7km Challenge and Junior Dash 4km & 2km races.

To enter or for more information visit goldcoastmarathon.com.au