This year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon (30 June – 1 July) will host the quickest elite field ever assembled in the event’s history with at least 10 runners capable of delivering new race records.
Last year the 22-year-old men’s race record in the Gold Coast Airport Marathon fell to Kenyan runner Nicholas Manza with a time of 2:10:01 while women’s winner Goitetom Tesema from Ethiopia clocked the second fastest time in the event’s history with 2:30:08.
The Top 5 elite runners in the 2012 Gold Coast Airport Marathon are:
Men
Evans Cheruiyot (Kenya)
Evans Cheruiyot will be the one to beat this year as he strives to become the third Kenyan male winner in succession at this year’s event. The 30-year-old currently boasts a personal best of 2:06:25 when he won the 2008 Chicago Marathon.
David Mandago (Kenya)
David Mandago currently holds a personal best of 2:06:53 which he recorded at the 2009 Paris Marathon. The 33-year-old also came second in the 2008 Chicago Marathon.
Yuki Kawauchi (Japan)
Yuki Kawauchi, also known as the ’citizen’s runner’, placed a remarkable third and was the first Japanese finisher at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon in a personal best of 2:08:37.
Alemayehu Shumye (Ethiopia)
24-year-old Alemayehu Shumye ran a fast 2:09:09 at this year’s Paris Marathon and also holds a sub 2:09 personal best recorded in 2009 at the Frankfurt Marathon.
Berhanu Shiferaw (Ethiopia)
19-year-old Berhanu Shiferaw will add some flare to the contest as the future star looks to replicate or better his 2:09:19 personal best time.
Women
Worknesh Tola (Ethiopia)
Worknesh Tola leads the female field and will be looking to make it two consecutive wins for Ethiopian women at this event. Tola won the Zurich Marathon in April in 2:31:23 and also has a fast personal best of 2:25:37 from 2008.
Hellen Kimutai (Kenya)
Hellen Kimutai, whose focus will be on becoming Kenya’s first ever winner of the women’s race, has the form on the board after winning the Rome Marathon in March in 2:31:11 and holding a personal best of 2:25:53.
Madoka Ogi (Japan)
Madoka Ougi currently holds a quick personal best of 2:26:55 and came eighth in the 2009 Osaka Marathon with a time of 2:27:56.
Kaori Yoshida (Japan)
2010 Gold Coast Airport Marathon winner Kaori Yoshida will return to the event this year with a great chance to take out the title once again for Japan. The 30-year-old clocked a 2:31:33 to win that year and also set her personal best of 2:29:45 in 2010 at the Chicago Marathon.
Filomena Costa (Portugal)
Young Portuguese runner Filomena Costa is aiming to become the first winner from Europe of the Gold Coast’s marquee race. The 27-year-old will come well credentialed with a 2:33:34 personal best when she placed fourth in last year’s Prague Marathon.
Prize money
Overall
1st $10,000
2nd $5,000
3rd $3,000
4th $2,000
5th $1,000
Time Bonuses
$20,000 if the winner breaks the Australian Allcomers Record – 2:09:18 (men) and 2:23:14 (women)
$5,000 if the winner breaks the Race Record – 2:10:01 (men) and 2:29:29 (women)
$2,000 if 2nd through to 5th place finish under the Race Record – 2:10:01 (men) and 2:29:29 (women)
$1,000 if the winner finishes under 2:12:00 (men) and 2:32:00 (women)
PLEASE NOTE: Time Bonus prizemoney is not cumulative i.e. if a runner breaks the Australian Allcomers Record, they are eligible only for the $10,000 winner’s prizemoney plus $20,000 time bonus (not Race Record as well).
Stars set to shine at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon
The stars will be shining during the Gold Coast Airport Marathon weekend (30 June – 1 July) as a large contingent of sporting and entertainment celebrities strap on their joggers and pound the pavement in various races.
They include:
Jesinta Campbell
2010 Miss Universe Australia, Jesinta Campbell, will be running in the ASICS Half Marathon. The face of ASICS women’s apparel in Australia will also be hosting the popular AirAsia Legends Lunch on Saturday afternoon.
Mat Rogers & Chloe Maxwell
Former Australian rugby league and rugby union international Mat Rogers will be running the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon. Mat has organised a team of more than 100 runners called ‘The Rat Pack’ and have raised more than $17,000 for his charity 4ASD Kids. His wife and television presenter Chloe Maxwell will run in the ASICS Half Marathon.
Daniel MacPherson
Former Neighbours actor and current host of Channel Seven’s Dancing with the Stars, Daniel MacPherson, will be running the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon. The 32-year-old has participated in numerous Ironmans and is aiming to finish in less than three hours and 30 minutes.
Andrew ‘Reidy’ Reid
Network Ten Bondi Rescue life saver Andrew ‘Reidy’ Reid will swap his swimmers for joggers and run in the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon. Reid is aiming to better his personal best of 3:08.
Clare McMeniman
Former Queensland Firebirds netball star Clare McMeniman will be taking on the full Gold Coast Airport Marathon. The retired defender has raised vital funds and awareness for the Leukaemia Foundation.
Kate Hollywood
Beijing Olympian and former Hockeyroo midfielder Kate Hollywood will be pacing Gold Coast’s own Broadwater Boulevard when she has a shot at the ASICS Half Marathon.
Peter Slattery
Another former Wallaby, Peter Slattery, will be running in the Southern Cross University 10km Run and raising money for MND and Me Foundation (Motor Neurone Disease).
Interesting Facts
Oldest Competitors: Bill Pacey is currently the oldest overall entrant for this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon. The 94-year-old Tweed Heads resident will participate in the Queensland Health 5.7km Challenge. 79-year-old Yokichi Suzuki from Hawaii is currently the oldest runner in this year’s 42.195km Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
Youngest Overall Competitor: The youngest competitor at this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be Sienna Blake from Narangba in Queensland. Sienna will celebrate her 5th birthday on Friday 29 June, making her the youngest competitor in the Dreamworld 2km Junior Dash.
Race Day Birthdays: 60 runners will be celebrating their birthdays over the Gold Coast Airport Marathon weekend. Milestone birthdays include:
Emily Quinn from Mt Cotton in Queensland will celebrate her 30th birthday on Saturday 30 June when she runs the Southern Cross University 10km Run. Highton, Victoria resident, Zachary Lassey will celebrate his 10th birthday when he runs in the Dreamworld 4km Junior Dash on Saturday 30 June.
Jan Bernardi from Klemzig in South Australia will celebrate her 50th Birthday when she runs the ASICS Half Marathon on Sunday 1 July.
Byron Bay, NSW resident, Simon Byme will celebrate his 40th birthday on Sunday 1 July when he competes in the 42.195km Gold Coast Airport Marathon.
Twins: 15 sets of twins will participate in various events over the Gold Coast Airport Marathon weekend.
27-year-olds Glen and Craig Hendry of Carindale and Peregian Beach will be the oldest twins competing in this year’s 42.195km Gold Coast Airport Marathon. The brothers will race against each other in their 10th consecutive Gold Coast Airport Marathon making them eligible for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon 10 Year Marathon Club.
Brother duo Blake and Declan Campbell of Stanthorpe in Queensland will be this year’s youngest twins at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon. Blake and Declan are five years and nine days old and will compete in the Dreamworld 2km Junior Dash.
Largest Family Entrant: Gold Coast residents, the Sparke family, have one of the largest number of family members competing at this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon. The Sparke family will have eight family members competing in the Queensland Health 5.7km Challenge. 6-year-old Alyssa will be the youngest member of the Sparke family running alongside her brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents.
Seven Continents: Several competitors have entered this year’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon as part of their goal to complete seven marathons in seven continents. Entrants include Virgil Smith, Wally Hines, Balia Marsow, Larissa Fildes, Sherrie Austin and Lindsay Madaras from the United States, Patrick Clearly from Canada, Sze Wei Goh from Singapore and Aimee Defries from Australia.
Number of finishers since 1979: There have been 259,654 finishers across all races at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon since the first event in 1979.
Longest Standing Race Record: Last year the Gold Coast Airport Marathon’s longest standing race record was bettered by Kenyan runner, Nicholas Manza. He finished the 42.195km race in 2:10:01, a time which will be rivalled this year by one of the quickest field of elite runners the event has ever seen. The previous record was 2:10:11 set by Victorian Brad Camp in 1989.