Andy tackles Hamburg again

A YEAR after he smashed his personal best in the classic, Bendigo athlete Andy Buchanan will tackle the Hamburg Marathon again.

It will be Buchanan’s third start in the classic and the fourth marathon of a brilliant career.

Among the goals in the 42.2km showdown on April 28 will be to lower his PB of 2:10.20 and be under or as close to the Paris Olympics qualifying time of 2:08.10.

Buchanan’s first marathon was Hamburg in 2022 where he ran 2:12 to be 15th. A year later he was 11th.

“To break into the top 10 would be a fantastic result,” Buchanan said.

“I am not hellbent on running 2:08. Growing up I never thought I would make an Olympic team, or race for Australia.

“There’s not huge expectations going into Hamburg. It’s a race I have really enjoyed and it’s a great course.

“The goal is to run as well as I can.”

A recurrence of a stress fracture in his femur meant Buchanan did not train for at least six weeks this summer.

“There was another three of four weeks of jogging and walking.

“It’s been a journey getting back into training and some racing.”

The Scott Westcott-coached athlete has varied a lot of his training.

“The number of kilometres I run and the intensity I am running has changed a fair bit from a year ago.

“Two weeks ago it was a training block of about 150km for the week. Then it dropped to 130 and wil gradually build up to 150 and then 160.”

Across the next few weeks the training workload is likely to be 170km or 180km per week.

Buchanan will spend a few weeks acclimatising in Hamburg.

“The greatest challenge is the time zone.”

In recent weeks it’s been two of the young guns in the Buchanan-coached squad who have shone.

Logan Tickell has earned selection in Australia’s team to contest the upcoming world under-20 cross-country championships in Serbia.

Avery McDermid put in a brilliant run to win the open mile at the 50th running of the Bendigo International Madison where Buchanan was trackside.