The winner of Tokyo's Year End Half Marathon in 2019, Andy Buchanan ran a crafty race to beat four sub-61 Japanese men and the debuting Australian Isaac Heyne at the Gold Coast Half Marathon. Smiling most of the way, Heyne led on 2:59/km pace through the turnaround point just before 11 km before Koki Kamata took over. From there it was a series of turnovers that took the lead group down to just Heyne, favorite Shunsuke Shikama, 2:06 marathoner Daisuke Doi, and Buchanan. All of them made moves in the last 2 km, but Buchanan made the definitive one in the last km, pulling away to win in a PB 1:02:20. After falling slightly behind, Heyne fought back for 2nd in 1:02:22 with Doi getting Shikama on the line for 3rd, both clocking 1:02:25. Four other Japanese men including 2:05 marathoner Kenya Sonota made the top 10.
The women's race started out as a trio with Australians Leanne Pompeani and Jessica Stenson, and two-time winner Sara Hall. Hall was the first to drop off, and over the second half of the race Pompeani ground Stenson down to win easily in 1:09:16 unofficially. Tuning up for the Paris Olympics marathon after a controversial Australian selection process, Stenson ran a PB 1:09:54 for 2nd, with Hall almost a minute further back in 3rd in 1:10:48. That time was in range of all three Japanese women in the race, but all three were non-factors and finished in the 1:13-1:14 range. Rinka Hida was first among them at 7th in 1:13:20.
Gold Coast Half Marathon Top Results
Gold Coast, Australia, 6 July 2024
Men
1. Andy Buchanan (Australia) - 1:02:20 - PB
2. Isaac Heyne (Australia) - 1:02:22 - debut
3. Daisuke Doi (Japan/Kurosaki Harima) - 1:02:25
4. Shunsuke Shikama (Japan/Logisteed) - 1:02:25
5. Koki Kamata (Japan/Yakult) - 1:02:58
6. Cameron Avery (New Zealand) - 1:03:02
7. Naoya Sakuda (Japan/JR Higashi Nihon) - 1:03:03
8. Soshi Suzuki (Japan/Yasukawa Denki) - 1:03:04
9. Kenya Sonota (Japan/JR Higashi Nihon) - 1:03:18
10. Oli Chignell (New Zealand) - 1:03:21
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13. Rei Yamahira (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 1:03:49
15. Haruki Abe (Japan/Chuo Univ.) - 1:04:20
Women
1. Leanne Pompeani (Australia) - 1:09:16 (unoff)
2. Jessica Stenson (Australia) - 1:09:54 - PB
3. Sara Hall (U.S.A.) - 1:10:48
4. Natasha Wodak (Canada) - 1:11:18
5. Andrea Seccafien (Canada) - 1:11:28
6. Vanessa Wilson (Australia) - 1:12:51
7. Rinka Hida (Japan/Daiichi Seimei) - 1:13:20
8. Yukari Nagatomo (Japan/Memolead) - 1:13:41
9. Moe Shimizu (Japan/Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 1:14:30
10. Anneke Grogan (New Zealand) - 1:15:12
© 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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