Press Release - Gold Coast Airport Marathon - 5/24/19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

          Kobe experience a boost for Queensland Marathon Champion

Two-time winner of the Queensland Marathon Championships Charlie Boyle is 
set for this year's race with the added experience of the Kobe Marathon 
under his belt.

Boyle won a ticket to run the Kobe Marathon for winning last year's 
championships and this year the same prize is on offer for the race to be 
held on 7 July as part of the Gold Coast Marathon.

Boyle believes running in Japan, a first for him, was an experience like no 
other and recommends the Japanese marathon to other runners looking for a 
new challenge.

"It was great to have another opportunity to race at the elite level and be 
in the company of high-level Japanese and African runners and observe their 
preparation," Boyle said.

"The level of crowd support in Japan is awesome - several hours after the 
race was finished, people were still cheering. There's great support for 
all finishers in Kobe.

"Part of Japanese culture is to embrace anyone doing the marathon. There is 
great respect for runners of any ability running this distance and it can 
even be advantageous if you are looking for a promotion at work!"

The experience of running internationally in the Kobe Marathon allowed 
Boyle to better understand his own running strategy and strengthen his 
mental game.

"It is common for Japanese runners to start out really fast and try and 
hold on without fading. I probably got carried away and went out harder 
than I should have because of everyone around me," he said.

Trying to even his pace throughout the race is something that Boyle will be 
hoping to improve upon for this year's Gold Coast Marathon, despite 
achieving his marathon PB of 2:24:45 last year.

"Even though I ran a PB, I went out a lot harder in the first half and 
faded in the second half. I was happy with the result but disappointed with 
my effort. It played out a lot differently to 2017 when I even-splitted 
both halves dead-on to the second."

The Kobe Marathon presented different challenges for Boyle with a testing 
climb at the 38-kilometre mark, however the cooler temperature in Japan was 
welcomed.

"Running in Japan was an experience also because they have some pretty 
crazy offerings at their refreshment tables like salted fish and cakes!"

While Boyle remains favourite for the title, he is playing down his chances 
by just promising to "run as fast as I possibly can."

Boyle's biggest threat in the field will be last year's runner-up Aidan 
Hobbs who ran a time of 2:28:21.

The women's race also has an exciting line-up with Glasgow 2014 
Commonwealth Games  representative Melanie Panayiotou the favourite to take 
out the title.

Three debutantes Tennille Ellis, Nerissa O'Donnell and Christie Winmill 
will be the ones to watch as each could cause an upset for Panayiotou.

Two-time champion and mother of three girls under three, Roxie Fraser, is 
also a contender for the podium and will be drawing on her experience of 
victory in both the 2009 and 2011 championships. 

For budding QLD Champions or recreational runners trying to run their best 
marathon time, Boyle's advice is simple.

"Run your race as evenly as possible. Start conservatively and make sure 
you're taking in enough fluid and stay on top of your nutrition- it is more 
enjoyable if you're passing people in the second half!"

The 2019 Queensland Marathon Championships are open to all Queensland 
residents and registered Queensland Athletics club members from Northern 
New South Wales.

The full elite field for the 2019 Gold Coast Marathon will be announced on 
Global Running Day on 5 June.

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