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Leading contenders in next week's New Balance Canberra Marathon have three objectives in mind. First, they simply want to win the race. Second, they want to run a qualifying time and force their way into the Commonwealth Games team. Third, they want to win the major prize of a trip to Chicago for the world's fastest marathon.

To have any chance of making the Commonwealth Games team, women must break 2 hours 40 minutes and men must break 2 hours 20 minutes. The trip to Chicago is awarded to the first Australian or NZ male and female, regardless of time.

So, if the winners fail to meet the standards for the Commonwealth Games, they still have a marvellous opportunity to enhance their careers in Chicago, where the fastest men's and women's times have been set in recent years.

If the winners do qualify for Manchester, they will face the dilemma of a third marathon late in the season, with Chicago coming 10 weeks after the Commonwealth Games.

The Australian women's team for the Commonwealth Games is wide open with only one A qualifier, Kerryn McCann and two B qualifiers, Krishna Stanton and Samantha Hughes. Stanton has a best time of 2.38.11 and Hughes has run 2.39.44. A time under 2.38 in Canberra by any of the contenders should see them join McCann in Manchester in July.

Three of the favoured athletes are Liz Miller, Isabella de Castella and Emma Jackowski.

Miller, from Sydney, is making her marathon debut after a long and successful career on the track. She has some solid half marathon performances to her credit, with wins at the Gold Coast in 1999 and Sydney in 1999 and 2001.

De Castella is a product of Canberra but now lives in Melbourne. She has run just one marathon, making an impressive debut over the Olympic marathon course at The Host City Marathon test event in April 2000. In that race she was the third Australian in a time of 2.45.25.

Australia's head coach at the Sydney Olympic Games, Chris Wardlaw, now coaches de Castella and has set her for the Canberra event.

Jackowski ran impressively in October 1999 when second to Susan Hobson in the Melbourne Marathon. She was expected to improve on her 2.44.06 at The Host City Marathon but unfortunately had one of those days that marathon runners want to forget.

She has also joined the Wardlaw stable and aims at using the Canberra Marathon to get back on track. Like de Castella, it will be two years since she has tackled the 42.195 kilometre distance.

When looking at the women's field, 1999 Canberra winner Melissa Bulloch should not be overlooked. She surprised in 1999 to win the race and a trip to Chicago, where she ran her personal best time of 2.46.30.

Bulloch missed much of 2000 after giving birth to her first child but is rapidly regaining her 1999 form. She recently was the outright winner of the Great Ocean Ultra Marathon at Coffs Harbour, finishing six minutes clear of the first male and shattering the women's record.

The men's field includes an interesting mix. Last year's runner-up, Daniel Green, who now lives at Tamwoth, will return and try to break the 2.20 barrier which he narrowly missed in Chicago last October.

Victorian Magnus Michelsson, the brave front runner who went within a whisker of winning The Host City Marathon, will participate although his major focus in Canberra is an attempt on the 50k race record. All runners in the Canberra Marathon have an opportunity to continue at the completion of the marathon course and run a 50k ultra marathon.

Michael McIntyre, who broke the Australia 50k record in Canberra last year, will also return from Victoria for another attempt over the 50k distance. He will use Canberra as part of his preparation for the Comrades Marathon in South Africa in June.

Another Victorian of considerable interest will be Shane Nankervis. Shane lives in Ballarat so has the advantage of training with Steve Moneghetti. Last year Nankervis ran 64.40 for a half marathon in Japan, ranking him amongst the top five Australians for the year. He will be making his debut in Canberra.

Paul Imhoff, from Florey, will add the Canberra interest. He tested himself last October when third over the half marathon distance in Auckland and is now ready for his marathon debut after a good build up over the summer months.

Unfortunately the leading duo from the 1999 Canberra race, Ray Boyd and Phill Sly, are late withdrawals after failing to overcome worrying injuries.

The marathon will be held on Sunday14 April with the Marathon Eve 5/10k Fun Run at 4pm on Saturday 13 April. Late entries for both races will be accepted on race weekend at the Telopea Park School.

Dave Cundy
RACE DIRECTOR
NEW BALANCE CANBERRA MARATHON
2 April 2002