Oceania Area 10km Road Championships

For the second year in a row, the Hobart Run the Bridge race, will play host to the Oceania Area 10km Championships.

Close to 4000 participants are expected to line up in the event that will also feature the IAAF Oceania Area 10km Championships for the second time.  The championships are awarded by Gold Coast based Oceania Athletics, who represent the IAAF in Australia.  

“Hosting the Oceania Area Championships is brilliant for the event, acknowledging the hard work and professionalism from over 150 people who work on it.  We already offered the largest first prize of any 10km event in Australia, with the ‘battle of the sexes’ winner taking home $5000, and to have an international title on offer helps take Hobart to another level.  Events Tasmania must be thanked for their role in securing the championships.

“The quality of the elite athletes assembled again in 2019 is world class.  We’ve got six Olympians and that number again in those who have represented their country.  

“The significance of that is higher than most sports however, because everyday runners and walkers get to stand on the same start line, mix with them and do the exact same event.  Some won’t be too fussed about it, but I guarantee there will be plenty of excited Jim and Jo joggers on the start line who will be inspired,” Welsh said.  

A huge field of 27 elite men, 14 of whom have run faster than 30minutes for 10km, will fight it out for line honours in this Sunday’s Bank of us Run The Bridge.

The 10th edition of the event will once again carry $3000 for first prize, plus a $2000 bonus to the first male or female in the ‘Battle of the Sexes’, with the $5000 first place being the highest bounty of any 10km race in Australia.

Four time winner Liam Adams returns, along with Commonwealth Games representative Harry Summers and Gold Coast 10km race record holder Jordan Gusman.

That trio is joined by previously announced stars Brett Robinson, Ben St Laurence and Dejen Gebreselassie.

Defending champion Liam Adams said he was chomping at the bit to return to the race he’s dominated over the years.

“I’m very happy to be returning to The Bank of us Run the Bridge.  It’s a picturesque race which always attracts the best runners from around Australia and even international runners too,” current Melbourne Marathon champion Liam Adams said.  

“It hasn’t been the best lead into the race but I still feel like I can throw in a good challenge. I’m confident that I’ll run quicker than last year so that should put me up close towards the lead,” Adams added. 


The full elite men’s field is;

Victoria Mitchell, Milly Clark and Andrea Seccafien are no strangers to the big time.  

All three represented their countries at the Rio Olympics and have all raced the Bank of us Run The Bridge previously.  Now they return to face off against one another next Sunday in Hobart.

Mitchell returns as the only previous winner, taking the 2016 title in 33:33 and is looking forward to adding another crown to her title.  

“I have great memories of the Bank of us Run the Bridge as it was one of my biggest victories on the road running circuit. It’s not often I beat Eloise Wellings, but i did that day! It was a surprising win and I hope I can surprise myself again this year,” Mitchell said. 

Known for sporting fluoro bright pink hair when she runs at major championships, 36 year old Mitchell has represented Australia at the Beijing and Rio Olympics, along with three Commonwealth Games and three world championships over her favoured 3000m Steeplechase distance.  However the Albury based runner said she loves the running scene in Tasmania.

“I always enjoy going to Tassie as there is a great running culture and the support is fabulous!” she declared. 

Marathoner Milly Clark declared the event her favourite on the circuit. 

“It’s by far my favourite race in Tasmania.  There’s so many iconic parts of Hobart you get to experience and racing over the Tasman Bridge on a Sunday morning is something special you can’t do any other day of the year,” Clark said.

Clark was Australia’s highest placed marathoner in Rio, placing 18th.  More recently the Nutritionist has moved home to Tasmania and is enjoying the training surrounds of her native state.  After a long injury layoff over 2017/2018, Clark is looking forward to reaching full fitness, something that she said isn’t too far off.  

“Being back in Tasmania now is so refreshing.  I did the Sydney thing for a few years, but I love living in Tasmania.  The running is sensational and the sense of community at events like the Bank of us Run The Bridge just isn’t replicated anywhere else,” the 29 year old said.  

“I’ve been doing some training in Launceston with Karinna Fyfe recently and she is moving well, so I’d expect her to be right up there in the finish also,” Clark tipped.

Canadian Andrea Seccafien also returns, after placing third last year.  The 28 year old ran the 5000m at the Rio Olympics and steps up to the 10km road race in her first race outing since the 2018 European summer. 

The full women’s elite field for the 2019 Bank of us Run The Bridge is;