For the upcoming Gold Coast Airport Marathon on Sunday 1 July, a top-class women’s field from Kenya, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the United States will be battling it out for the overall and championship honours.

They include Kenya’s Agness Barsisio and Ruth Chebitok, Ayaka Fujimoto and Miharu Shimokado from Japan, as well as Victoria Beck from New Zealand and Sabina Pines and Krystalanne Curwood from the United States. All are aiming for the top few positions.

Victoria Beck.

Organised and owned by Events Management Queensland, a major events management company wholly owned by the Queensland Government as part of Tourism and Events Queensland, the 40th edition of the Gold Coast Marathon will feature eight different races to cater to athletes of all abilities – including the Gold Coast Marathon, Wheelchair Marathon, ASICS Half Marathon, the Southern Cross University 10km Run and the Gold Coast Airport 5.7km Fun Run.

Said Cameron Hart, Events Manager, Queensland CEO “We are thrilled to assemble a women’s marathon field of such elite quality for our special 40th edition of the Gold Coast Marathon.”

“Being an established IAAF Gold Label Road Race helps us attract the calibre of athlete that we will see here on Sunday 1 July,” he continued.

And for the Kenyan and Australian runners, history could be created as well.

This is because Kenya’s Barsosio and Chebitok are both striving to become the first Kenyan woman to win the Gold Coast Marathon in the event’s history.

Both Kenyans are heading into the race as the top seeds chasing the winner’s cheque of AUD $20,000 along with potential time bonus money of up to another AUD $20,000.

Barosio, 35, has an impressive personal best of 2 hours 20 minutes 59 seconds, set at the Paris Marathon last year. And having placed fifth in the recent Gothemburg Half Marathon in Sweden, she is in good form.

Chebitok too, is also in a good position to press for top honours; the 27 year old won the Barcelona Marathon in March, setting a new personal best of 2 hours 25 minutes 49 seconds, in the process.

And as for Australian elites Jessica Trengrove, 30 and Celia Sullohern, both are hoping to claim a slice of a special incentive offered by the organisers of Australia’s marquee marathon.

Under this incentive, any Australian runner who can complete the 42.195km distance in under 2 hours 28 minutes for women and 2 hours 10 minutes for men, will share an AUD $40,000 prize money pool.

Jess Trengrove.

Said Hart, “I am sure fans will love seeing Jess and Celia in the marathon after their heroics for Australia at the recent Commonwealth Games. Let’s hope that they can produce personal best performances and share in the AUD $40,000 incentive for Aussie athletes.”

This is a feat which has never before been achieved by an Australian runner at the Gold Coast Marathon event. 

But Trengrove and Sullohern both believe they are in the form to do so.

Said Trengrove, who is secretly eyeing the prize money, “The AUD $40,000 incentive is a special opportunity for Australian marathoners and has created an exciting buzz around this year’s event.”

She added, “With a relatively small window between the Commonwealth Games and the Gold Coast Marathon, my decision to race depended upon a smooth recovery and the ability to absorb another marathon training load. Following the Games, I had a couple of weeks to relax and fortunately my body responded positively to my return to training.”

Trengrove hopes to complete the marathon in under 2 hours 27 minutes 1 second – her current personal best.

Celia Sullohern.

Sullohern, who took part in the Commonwealth Games recently, is also secretly hoping to run a personal best at the Gold Coast Marathon. 

She said, “I honestly don’t know if I can run that 2 hour 28 minute timing; however a personal best would be nice. In my race, it is important for me to go out fairly quickly to see where I am at, and if I am in personal best shape or better, that would be great.”

And continued Sullohern, “My recovery from the Games has gone well. I did some triathlon training on the bike and in the pool to allow my body to recover and then I shifted focus to longer and slower runs to train for the Marathon. So the Gold Coast Marathon will be a good indicator of where I am at with my fitness to run another good Marathon.”