Ky Robinson has become the first Australian to break 27 minutes for 10000m in finishing second at The Ten in San Yuan Capistrano, USA.
Robinson clocked 26:57.07 after being outkicked down the home straight by Germany’s Mohamed Abdilaahi, who ran 26:56.58.
A fourth place finisher over 5000m at last year’s World Championships, Robinson lowered his personal best, set at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, from 27:44.33.
“Thankfull Mohamed was with me and we just checked off laps together,” Robinson told FloTrack after the race.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get him in the end, but to get under 27 minutes was the goal.”
Robinson passed half way right on 13:30, with a 59 second last lap producing a negative split.
San Yuan Capistrano’s JSerra Catholic High School annually hosts The Ten meet, which has proved a happy hunting ground for Australians: the three prior national records were set at the same meet.
Looking at the progression since Ron Clarke’s era, except for his world record run in Oslo in 1965, all Australian records over the distance have been set in either Melbourne or California.
Time Athlete Location, Year 28:18.2 Ron Clarke Melbourne, 1963 27:39.4 Ron Clarke Oslo, 1965 27:31.92 Shaun Creighton Melbourne, 1996 27:29.73 Collis Birmingham Berkeley, 2009 27:24.95 Ben St Lawrence Palo Alto, 2011 27:23.80 Stewart McSweyn Box Hill, 2019 27:22.55 Pat Tiernan San Yuan Capistrano, 2020 27:15.35 Jack Rayner San Yuan Capistrano, 2022 27:09.57 Jack Rayner San Yuan Capistrano, 2024 26:57.07 Ky Robinson San Yuan Capistrano, 2026
Other Australian athletes in action in the meet were:
- Ed Marks, who won the B race in a new personal best of 27:54.98, with a 14:02/13:53 negative split
- Olli Hoare, who won the 1500m in 3:35.82
- Brett Robinson, 15th in the main 10000m race in 28:10.53
