Gold Coast Marathon 2016: Impressive list of elite athletes sparks talk of marathon records

AMBASSADORS Benita Willis and Pat Carroll believe records could tumble when an impressive list of athletes line up in the Gold Coast Airport Marathon.

Winner of the 2015 Gold Coast Airport Marathon, Kenneth Mungara, is among a crack field experts believe could push the race record to new lows this year. Picture: JERAD WILLIAMS

LEGENDARY runners Benita Willis and Pat Carroll believe records could again tumble when an impressive list of elite athletes line up in next month’s Gold Coast Airport Marathon.

Adding to the event’s significance is the fact a host of competitors will still be trying to secure their ticket to the Rio Games including three-time Olympian Ser-Od Bat-Ochir of Mongolia.

More than 40 international men and women will race including last year’s record-breaking winner Kenneth Mungara.

Gold Coast Marathon ambassadors Pat Carroll and Benita Willis believe records could tumble at this year’s event. Picture: Mike Batterham

The 42-year-old Kenyan set a benchmark for the event of 2hr 8min 42 sec while the women’s record has stood since 2013 when Japan’s Yukiko Akaba ran a 2:27:17.

Both times appear under serious threat with a number of entrants boasting quicker personal bests.

“It’s an incredibly strong field,” Carroll said.

“I mean it’s just an indication of how we’ve progressed in the world of marathon running.

“Years ago there’s no way you would have been able to get a 2:05 marathoner (Kenya’s Peter Some) here on the Gold Coast but now it’s possible because of the depth that’s out there.”

Carroll, a four-time event champion, tipped Mungara to take victory last year but believes age could count against him this time around.

“Full credit to him running 2:08 last year but to come back and run another 2:08, it’s just so hard once you get past that 40 bracket,” he said.

In predicting his winner, he overlooked Some and instead nominated the 25-year-old’s countryman John Cheruiyot who last year placed second at Rabat and sixth at Frankfurt.

Carroll tipped Ethiopian Birhanu Achamie — runner-up at Rome in April — and Mungara to round out the podium.

Willis expects to see a close race unfold in a similarly competitive women’s field.

“It will be a really close race ... if they’re on pace at the start the record is always (under) threat,” she said.

“There are so many really good athletes from different countries and from countries even like Mongolia so I think that’s a pretty unique thing about this year.”

A four-time Olympian and the holder of Australia’s fastest women’s marathon time, she is backing 2015 runner-up Rika Takenaka to go one better on July 3.

“She led for a lot of the race last year so she will probably want to try to win the race this year,” Willis said.

She noted Japanese runners can be at a slight advantage to their African counterparts on the Gold Coast due to having a similar time zone but is sure the young Ethiopian trio of Gulume Chala, Meseret Biru and Meseret Tolwak will be very much on the pace.

Yoko Shibui has the quickest personal best (2:19:41) but is less likely to be a major contender considering that time was posted in 2004.

Four Australians are present in the women’s elite list led by veteran Kirsten Molloy, while Willis coaches 46-year-old Rachel Glasson.