Launceston Running Festival THIS SUNDAY

*Picture courtesy of Running Calendar

If 2020 wasn’t unusual enough, the Launceston Running Festival might just be the only annual event that didn’t occur in 2019, but will in 2020.

The premier running event in Northern Tasmania began in 2007, running each year until 2018, before making its return this Sunday.

Near on 1500 runners, walkers, wheelchairs and kids in prams are entered for Sunday’s event, making it one of the largest fun runs in Australia for 2020.

Widely regarded as the fastest 10km course in Australia, the elite fields assembled are among some of the best domestic fields for a road race ever seen in Australia.

Australian athletics team captain and current Australian 10,000m champion Genevieve Gregson (nee Lacaze) said she was excited to close out 2020 with a fast race in a hotly contested field;

“I’ve won my last three 10km races, so I’ll be looking to continue that winning streak. I have fond memories of Tasmania with a win in last year’s Burnie Ten, and I’m really keen to race in Launceston and run fast,” Gregson said.

Gregson will be up against course record holder Sinead Diver and Olympic finalists Eloise Wellings. However it could be the breakthrough race for South Australian star Izzi batt-Doyle who insiders believe is a rising star in Australian distance running.

But the Australian 3000m steeplechase record holder and dual Olympian declared she was up for the challenge and was looking to expand her star power to the 10km journey.

“I have qualified for the Olympics in the 3000m steeplechase, however I would also like to try and qualify over the 10km, and Launceston will be a stepping stone to achieving that,” Gregson added.

Once again the men’s C5 Pro-Solutions 10km race is loaded with star firepower. Course record holder (28min:31seconds) Jack Rayner will start favourite, but they are lined up behind him including Rio Olympic marathoner Liam Adams, current Burnie Ten champion Jordy Williamsz, Tasmanian half marathon record holder Dejen Gebreselassie and NSW in form man Kieren Tall.

Australian half marathon record holder Brett Robinson will spearhead the field for his pet event which makes its debut this Sunday. The Think Big Half Marathon has attracted 6 men with personal bests of under 65minutes and with Australian mile champion James Hansen acting as pacemaker, the tempo will be quick from the outset on the fast course.

Robinson’s training mate Joel Tobin-White will take some effort to run away from, as will South Australian champion Riley Cocks, recently crowned NSW 10,000m champion Ed Goddard, world championships representatives Tom Do Canto and Dave Ridley.

Canadian half marathon record holder Andrea Seccafien lines up with the quickest PB in the field for the women’s journey at 69:38. She’ll need to run that fast in order to hold off two of Australia’s best marathon runners in Adelaide’s Jess Stenson (nee Trengove) and Launceston’s own Milly Clark.

Full elite fields are listed below.

A livestream will run on the Launceston Running Festival facebook page from 6:20am.

Entries are open until 3pm Saturday 12^th December at www.launcestonrunningfestival.com.au in the following events;

• 6:30am START - Think Big Half Marathon (first finisher expected 7:31am)
• 8:45am START - C5 Pro-Solutions 10km (first finisher expected 9:13am)
• 8:20am START - Zzim Conveyancing 5km (first finisher expected 8:36am)
• 8:55am START - Liv-eat Mile (first finisher expected 9:00am)

The Event Guide is now available with specific 2020 Launceston Running Festival information.

Road closure information is also attached.

Full elite fields are;