Australia’s current crop of female distance runners are fast and tough.
Just ask Leanne Pompeani — Australia’s third-fastest female ever over 10 kilometres on the road.
The 26-year-old isn’t in Eugene for the World Athletics Championships and won’t be in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games, but the intense battle for national spots will resume when her rivals return and set their sights on the Paris Olympics.
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Pompeani, Eloise Wellings, Jessica Stenson, Sinead Diver, Ellie Pashley, Milly Clark, Genevieve Gregson, Sarah Klein and Lisa Weightman could all be vying for selection in the Olympic marathon, but no more than three spots will be up for the taking.
In Pompeani’s next challenge in her blossoming distance career, the Canberran will line up for Sunday’s Sydney Harbour 10-kilometre event and aim to break Weightman’s course record — the 31:55 she clocked in 2019.
There’s a genuine chance she’ll shift her focus to the marathon early next year — and a scan of the all-time rankings reveals the size of the mission ahead.
Of the 10 fastest Australian female marathon runners in history, six are still competing at an elite level: Diver, Wellings, Weightman, Stenson, Pashley and Clark.
“It’s so strong,” Pompeani said of the depth in Australian female distance running.
“It’s so inspiring watching Eloise Wellings, Lisa Weightman, Jess Stenson, Sinead, and it’s good to know that females in particular have quite a while in terms of longevity and age to be able to do well. It’s nice knowing that I potentially have many years to get good at the marathon.
“If anything it’s more motivating that they’re lovely women. You can ask them anything and they’ll give you advice, they’ll chat to you.”
Every one of the marathon women in the all-time top 10 have cracked the 2:27 barrier.
Klein was the only Australian, male or female, to compete in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships.
But Wellings, Stenson and Diver are locked in for the women’s marathon at the Commonwealth Games next month, and Liam Adams, Jack Rayner and Andy Buchanan are poised to contest the men’s event.
Some of the wisdom of Wellings and Stenson wore off on Pompeani when she cooled down with them after racing in Launceston in June.
“Just listening to them talk about the Commonwealth Games coming up … it’s about trying to soak in all the information that they’re talking about when they’re talking about how their training has been, what they’re doing,” Pompeani said.
“It’s just trying to take mental notes when they’re talking about that.
“They are so supportive … they’re not bitter; they want to see all the females do well.”
Unleashing a 31:43 at the Sydney 10 in May gave Pompeani the confidence to pursue the national 10-kilometre road record.
That’s the 31:17 set by Benita Willis in Manchester in 2006.
The Des Proctor-coached athlete isn’t convinced she can seize the record in Sunday’s Sydney Harbour race, but she says it’s “sitting there in the back of my mind”.
“I’m not sure if it’ll be Sydney or somewhere else later in the year, but it’s definitely a goal of mine to get that 10-kilometre record,” Pompeani said.
Regardless, she’s a force destined for stardom.
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