Defending champion Jack Colreavy will be using this year’s Fernleigh 15 as a stepping stone to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The North Avoca 29-year-old was at Adamstown on Wednesday for the official launch of the October 21 event and it comes on the back of a recent personal best marathon time.
Colreavy stopped the clock at two hours, 17 minutes and 48 seconds on the Gold Coast last month, finishing 14th overall but taking out the Oceania title.
He will now take a break from the longer 42.1-kilometre distance in a bid to “work on his speed in shorter, sharper races” before the Olympic qualifying period opens next year.
Colreavy will run the Melbourne half marathon the Sunday prior to Fernleigh 15.
Manning wheelchair racer Luke Bailey, coached by Newcastle’s Andrew Dawes, was also at Wednesday’s launch having made his Australian debut in Switzerland in June. Athletics NSW chief executive officer Duncan Tweed and event organiser Scott Westcott, who represented Australia at the Rio Olympics in 2016, also spoke about the seventh anniversary of Fernleigh 15.
