Three-time Australian Olympian Jess Stenson smashes national marathon record at Valencia Marathon
A three-time Olympian, and mother of two, is now Australia’s fastest marathon runner after smashing the national record at the Valencia Marathon. See her time here.
Australia’s best marathoner is now the fastest with Jess Stenson smashing the national record at the Valencia Marathon.
The Adelaide mother of two took nine seconds off Sinead Diver’s mark, clocking 2hr21min25sec to finish fifth in the women’s race.
Stenson, 38, shaved more than a minute off her previous best (2:22.56ec) to write her name into the history books.
The Commonwealth champion and three-time Olympian let out a roar as she crossed the line and one of the first people she spoke to afterwards was Diver.
“I just got off the phone to Sinead, she called me right away and we just cried. She was so happy for me, and it was so nice to connect with her after the race,” Stenson said.
“I’m so delighted and so satisfied. Everyone’s always said Valencia is a magic place to run but I have to admit, I was really nervous coming into this race because I knew I was going to have a crack at the record and that it was going to hurt.
“I was expecting a lot of pain, mental pain more than anything but it was one of those days that I was pleasantly surprised and I found my flow.”
Running her third marathon this year, Stenson said she was grateful to Diver, who set the record in 2021, for pushing up the standard of distance running in Australia.
“I’m so grateful for Sinead and that record she set. When there was one kilometre left to go, I was thinking of her and trying to squeeze as much as I could out of myself, knowing what was possible to achieve,” she said.
“I have the highest level of respect for her, so she was there with me in a positive way.
“I’m also so happy that Adam (Didyk, coach) and Dylan, my husband, believed in me and what I could achieve because you think of those moments too.”
Fellow South Australian Isobel Batt-Doyle also ran brilliantly finishing seventh (2:23.35sec) while Genevieve Gregson, in her first race back just eight months after giving birth, finished 22nd (2:28.51sec).
Thomas Do Canto was the first Aussie home in the men’s race, clocking 2:11.14sec for 40th while former Olympic 1500m finalist Ryan Gregson ran his fourth fastest marathon (2:17.21sec).
Former men’s national record holder Brett Robinson registered a DNF after pulling out of the race at the 30km mark.
Originally published as Three-time Australian Olympian Jess Stenson smashes national marathon record at Valencia Marathon
