The stage is set for the Australian Championships next month following a final hit out from some of the nation’s top athletes at the Albie Thomas Mile at Bankstown.
Photos by Fred Etter
The event incorporated the Australian Championship for the mile.
The closest race of the night was the men’s mile with a close contest between 3:33 1500m man Jesse Hunt and 3:51 miler, Jack Anstey. The pace wasn’t on during the race, with the bell reached in 3:04, but with a 54 second final lap the pair broke 4 minutes, with Hunt prevailing by two-tenths-of-a-second to claim his maiden national title, 3:59.09 to 3:59.26.
The women’s race similarly lacked pace but once it was injected by Abbey Caldwell with just over a lap to go she showed she was a class above the rest of the field. Caldwell set a race record of 4:30.50 with a 62 second final lap. Australian 10000m record holder Lauren Ryan ran a similarly fast last lap to claim silver in 4:32.19 ahead of Maudie Skyring (4:32.53).
Jessica Hull opted to race over two laps at the meet and was rewarded with a new personal best of 2:03.02. However, it was the manner which she recorded the time that she will be most pleased with heading into the national championships, negatively splitting 63.01/60.02 to hold off Imogen Barrett (2:03.50). Olympic qualified Bendere Oboya looked uncomfortable off the slow pace, finishing third in 2:05.17.
The men’s 800m was set up for a fast time and Luke Boyes made the most of it, lowering his personal best for the second time in the space of a week with a run of 1:45.45. The pace was set by Ben Jagger through to just before 500m and Boyes looked strong as he pulled away for a comfortable win from Peter Bol, who opened his season in 1:46.70. Cameron Myers, who didn’t look as comfortable with the fast pace and sat back (50.99 opening lap for Boyes, compared to 52.14 for Myers) was third in 1:48.19.
Boyes now has the fastest 800m time of the season, setting up a great three-way contest with Peyton Craig (who has lost only once this season, by one-hundredth-of-a-second to Boyes at the Sydney Track Classic) and Bol, who will compete at the Stawell Gift to further sharpen up ahead of Nationals.
In other events held at the Albie Thomas meet:
- Thomas Hunt won the 400m hurdles in 50.53s
- Sarah Carli took out the 400m hurdles in 56.50s in a close race with Marli Wilkinson, who ran 56.84s
- Joshua Phillips won the 5000m in 14:04.85
- Georgia Winkcup took out the 3000m steeplechase in 10:20.79
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With thanks to Fred Etter
