Gold Coast Marathon 2018: Kenyan wins race but Aussie claims massive bonus after strong run

RUTH Chebitok set a race record to become the first Kenyan woman to claim the Gold Coast Marathon but Jess Trengove set up her Tokyo campaign.

RUTH Chebitok set a race record to become the first Kenyan woman to claim the Gold Coast Marathon but Jess Trengove emerged as the day’s biggest winner after the Olympian scored a bonus of $40,000 with a performance that set up her Tokyo Olympic campaign.

Chebitok crossed the line in 2:24.47, to break Ethiopian Abebech Bekele’s 2017 record by 47sec and claim $30,000 in win and time bonuses.

While countrywoman Agness Barsosio was expected to push the record, and even the Australian allcomers mark of 2:23.14, it was Chebitok that was able to hold the sub 2:25 pace throughout.

Trengove started with the leaders but dropped off after about 30km before digging deep to pass Barsosio and notch a personal best time.

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Gold Coast Marathon winner Ruth Chebitok. Picture Mike Batterham

The effort is set to bolster Trengove’s self-belief ahead of her campaign for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 where she will be at the peak of her career.

“This gives me even more belief at a point in my career where I feel like the sky’s the limit, so it’s a nice place to be,” she said.

“I’d like to think (I could be in the mix in Tokyo), there’s still a lot of time between now and then to work on some things.”

As a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Gold Coast race, organisers put up a $40,000 purse to be shared by any Australian man that could break 2:10 and woman to go under the 2:28 barrier.

As the only runner to do that, Trengove scooped the pool, as well as picking up $8000 for finishing second, to win $48,000 the biggest cheque of any athlete yesterday and the richest payday for an Australian athlete, in Australia, for a significant time.

The sister of professional footballer Jack Trengove, Jess will use her windfall not only to help fund her own career, but that of other South Australian runners, as well as provide to charities favoured by boyfriend Dylan Stenson’s former coach Judy Daly, who died last year after a battle with cancer.

Jess Trengove came second and had a payday of $48,000. Photo by Richard Gosling

“His coach passed away late last year and I know she had a dream to support a few charities, so I said if I win it, I’m going to put some money there and to support runners in SA (South Australia) in some way,” Trengove said.

The vow made the 30-year-old dig deep after she lost touch with the lead group after 30km.

In a brave run, Trengove decided to head out on 2:25 pace, two minutes ahead of her personal best and fought back in the final 10km to finish in 2:26.29.

“I made the decision with Adam (coach Adam Didyk) a few weeks ago to go with that lead pack of 2:25,” Trengove said.

“We saw this as an opportunity and a bit of a bonus to go for it.

“I did drop off the pack but it wasn’t too windy out there, so I didn’t get too stressed, I had to just keep running my own race and I really just thought of form this race.

“It’s the one where I’ve focused for the longest time in a marathon just on being upright, light on my feet, quick cadence.

“I didn’t know that I dropped 30 seconds in that 30-35km block because I didn’t look at my watch the whole race, so I was really just running from within.”

Chebitok sliced just over a minute from her previous best to win and notch a new race record, her time the fourth-fastest ever in Australia behind the medal winners from the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

“I’m happy because I am the winner and second I’m happy because I have a new PB and I broke the course record,” Chebitok said.