Buchanan to run marathon in Paris

BENDIGO distance running champion Andy Buchanan will join the Olympic family when he races the marathon on the Paris streets on Saturday afternoon.

Seventh in the 42.2km showdown at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Buchanan earned a late call-up for the Olympics after Brett Robinson was ruled out because of injury.

The duel on the Paris streets starts at 4pm AEST on the second-last day of the games.

A big year for Buchanan included a personal best of 2 hours 8 minutes and 58 seconds in the Hamburg Marathon which was the seventh fastest time by an Australian.

One of the most popular circuits in Buchanan’s training regime is in Spring Gully where he often charges along Spring Gully Road, Stanley Avenue and Retreat Road.

In recent weeks he won the Oceania half-marathon on the Gold Coast and was runner-up in the Victorian 10-kilometre cross-country championship at Bundoora Park.

A multiple monthly finalist in Bendigo’s Sports Star of the Year awards, Buchanan is a dual national 10-kilometre cross-country titleholder.

A big weekend for Athletics Bendigo Region includes the seventh round of the On-backed XCR series being run on Sunday at Ballarat’s Lake Wendouree.

Hundreds of athletes will make their way to the stomping ground of four-time Olympic marathon runner Steve Moneghetti.

Race distances will be 15 kilometres or 6 kilometres for open age groups, and 6 kilometres for juniors.

The junior and open age 6-kilometre starts at 9.30am and will be followed by the open 15-kilometre from 10.15am.

Bendigo’s teams, aka Bats, make their way to Ballarat on or near the top of several categories.

In a closely-fought men’s premier class, Bendigo has scored 55 points to be leading the title race from Western Athletics, 52, and Box Hill and Mentone locked on 42.

Victory at Bundoora meant Bendigo moved within a point of the ladder-leading Yarra Ranges in the women’s division two premiership.