Tamsett, Dent race to records at adidas Sydney:10
Sydney University student Lara Tamsett has smashed the race record in winning today’s adidas Sydney:10 road race at Sydney Olympic Park.
The 22-year-old from Coogee took over a minute off the previous record, clocking a time of 32 minutes, 27 seconds for the 10km course. Taking out the minor places were R4YL adirunner Tamara Carvolth (Queensland, 34:54) and Melinda Vernon (34:58), with Australian 5000m champion Belinda Martin the third NSW runner across the line in 35:00.
“Before the race I said that anything between 33 minutes, 30 seconds and my previous road race personal best of 32 minutes, 40 seconds would be a good performance,” Tamsett said.
“I was aiming to run each kilometre in 3 minutes, 15 seconds and when I went through the first kilometre in 3:02, I was a bit freaked out. But I held it together well to record a time that is only seven seconds outside my personal best on the track.”
Despite the quality of the performance placing her within reach of the Olympic qualifying standard of 31 minutes, 45 seconds for the 10000m, Tamsett feels that her future representative aspirations lie on the road.
“I don’t think I’m the type of athlete who makes dramatic break throughs, and I feel more comfortable running on the road,” Tamsett said.
Last week Tamsett made the difficult decision to withdraw from Australia’s team for the World University Games to focus on defending her title in Sydney’s City to Surf, mindful that further experience in road races will provide a stepping stone to the marathon distance in the future.
“It was a tough decision to choose the City to Surf over the World University Games because I love representing Australia and travelling, but the City to Surf did a lot for my running career last year, so it will be fantastic to come back as the defending champion and race in front of all of my friends and family again.
“I know endurance is my strength and where I am going to end up – where I feel most comfortable is the longer distances on the road – I’m just trying to build up those miles and I don’t want to rush it and risk injury.”
The first male across the line was Canberra’s Martin Dent, who also set a new race record with a performance of 29 minutes, 31 seconds. Following Dent were Tim Rowe (30:01), Harry Summers (30:18) and Scott Westcott (30:34).
The 32-year-old backed up from his win a fortnight ago at the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon to shave fourteen seconds off the previous race record held by Russell Dessaix-Chin.
“Russ ran really well here a few years ago. We’ve been racing since we were teenagers, so it is nice to get the record from him,” Dent said.
Over 800 runners took to the roads across the three events of the adidas Sydney:10, which incorporated the 2011 NSW Road Championships.
Full race results are available at http://www.nswathletics.info/liveresults/sydney10_2011/
