Buchanan and Pompeani Win Gold Coast Half Marathon

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

complete results

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

-----

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

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