Olympics the goal for Clifford after dominant Burnie 10 win

Launceston runner Sam Clifford’s Olympics dream is becoming more realistic with every race, after he smashed his rivals and his personal best in Sunday’s Burnie 10 win.

Launceston's Sam Clifford set a massive personal best in his Burnie 10 victory on Sunday. Picture: Supplied

The dream of becoming an Olympian is becoming more realistic for Launceston runner Sam Clifford after he destroyed his opposition and his personal best in winning the Burnie Ten on Sunday.

The 22-year-old is $4000 richer after clocking 28:17 to beat former winner Isaac Heyne by 24 seconds, and it also obliterated his previous benchmark of 29:01 set when winning the Sydney 10 in May.

Eclipsing the 28-minute mark at the Zatopek 10 in December, which doubles as the national title, now looks achievable.

Clifford has taken massive steps since improving his professionalism off the track midway through last year after a poor race on the Gold Coast.

“I had to verbalise to myself this needs to stop. I had people around me telling me to do it, but I had to say it to myself,” he told this masthead in December.

That hard work has paid off after he became just the second Tasmanian after Olympian Stewart McSweyn in 2017-18 to win the Burnie 10.

And Clifford now has belief he can follow him to world sport’s biggest stage.

“After performances like today, you can’t not think about it,” he said.

“When you’re getting in the low 28s you think ‘OK, I can make a team at the international level’.

“I’m very grateful now I’m starting to almost catch up, and you think there’s a possibility. I know what I need to do to get to that point, to give myself a chance to be selected.

“I’ve never been one to shy away from the big competition, I want to bring the best out of myself which makes it more enjoyable.

“If you’re improving you enjoy it while you can, which I certainly did today. I hadn’t won for a long time and a big one like this (Burnie) is amazing.”

Leanne Pompeani on her way to breaking the Burnie 10 race record on Sunday. Picture: Supplied

Clifford will now look to improve on last year’s Zatopek result where he was the seventh Australian to finish.

“I think we can have five or six runners who can go under 28 minutes, I’d like to be in that conversation,” he said.

“Burnie is a fast course, but it’s not the absolute fastest and when you’re on a flat track with no hills or elevation, it will be interesting.

“There’s always room for improvement. I feel like if I can find a way to improve again the next month or so that time is realistic.”

Burnie was Clifford’s first race since he spent five weeks training with some of Sydney’s top distance runners, including Ed Goddard and Josh Phillips.

“To get close to a minute off that (Sydney 10) time in six months is incredible. It’s testament to what I’ve done with the one percenters, they’re absolutely paying dividends now,” he said.

“Training with those guys in Sydney was such a great asset to my training, the professionalism in a big group and building on some of the weaknesses.

“I had some strength but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the top guys and they were willing to rinse themselves. I was willing to jump on board and do my part.

“It’s incredible to train with guys like that and you’re able to unlock things just by being with them for a few weeks.”

The women’s race was won by Canberra’s Leanne Pompeani after she broke the race’s longstanding female record in 31:40, pipping Hobart runner Kylie Risk’s 31:42 run in 1999.

Inaugural race winner and Athletics Australia board member Steven Moneghetti was on hand to announce the Burnie 10 will host the Australian 10km Road Running Championships for the next three years.