One of the Oldest meetings in the World, the Zatopek Classic, will be run for the 61st time at Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne, this Wednesday evening.
Named after the renowned Czech distance runner Emil Zatopek, who won the 5000m, 10000m and the Marathon at the 1952 Olympic Games.
The Zatopek:10 namesake events are the two 10,000m Races, double as the Australian 10,000m Championships. The Men’s race sees 6 Australian Tokyo Olympians in the field. Still, with Oceanian Record Holder Pat Tiernan and Stewert McSweyn not in the field, it leaves it wide open. All three Australian Marathoners from Tokyo line up, in Brett Robinson, Jack Rayner and Liam Adams, and will look to run the legs out of the rest of the field, including previous Champion David McNeil, who first won the Zatopek in 2009.
In the Women’s 10,000m, the field is headlined by three mothers, Sinead Diver, Jess Stenson and Eloise Wellings. All are coming off recent marathon performances but will be looking to ensure selection in 10,000m at the Major Championships in 2022. They won’t have it their own way, with defending champion and Tokyo Olympian Rose Davies looking to defend her title.
The 800m will be headlined by Catriona Bissett, the Oceania 800m Record Holder, looking to start her 2022 off successfully at the Zatopek. The women’s 1500m will be an exciting battle between a group of young women looking for a jump to the international stage in 2022. Abbey Caldwell, who just missed selection for Tokyo, Claudia Hollingsworth, who set records last year over multiple Under 18 distances, Jaylah Hancock-Cameron has shown promise and steeplechase Olympian Georgia Winkcup.
The Men’s middle distances will be highlighted by a wide-open 1500m. Jude Thomas has set age-group records over 3000m the last year, and steepler Max Stevens, whilst multiple national Australian finalist Joshua Johnson and Zak Patterson, won’t let them have it their own way.
To follow all the action from the Continental Tour in 2022 in Oceania, head to the dedicated Continental Tour page on the Oceania Athletics Website.
