A WORLD age group champion in marathon running, Bendigo Harriers star Jill Wilkie will race in Friday night\u2019s 5km Frenzy at the Retreat Road athletics complex in Flora Hill.<\/p>\n
Wilkie is among 85 athletes to have nominated for the fourth edition of the Bendigo Harriers-run classic.<\/p>\n
The gun athlete ran the 42.2km of last year\u2019s Chicago Marathon in 2 hours 57.16 minutes to be the 55-59 years women\u2019s champion.<\/p>\n
In Friday night\u2019s racing, Wilkie will be among a field of 17 in the first of three heats in the A.L. Parker Electrical-backed 5km Frenzy to be run at 6.30pm.<\/p>\n
There will be two other 5km mixed heats sponsored by Mulqueen Finance and Intersport Bicknells at 7.30pm and 8pm.<\/p>\n
City of Greater Bendigo has backed the mixed open 1000-meter and mixed under-14 1000-meter events at 7.15pm.<\/p>\n
The elite women\u2019s 5km Frenzy will be run from 8.30pm.<\/p>\n
Athletes will be vying for prizemoney and to pocket incentives for breaking track records.<\/p>\n
Fastest time for women\u2019s open was 16:08.63 set by Deakin\u2019s Ellie Pashley in 2021.<\/p>\n
The under-20 record of 17:42 was set by South Bendigo\u2019s Clare McKechnie in 2003.<\/p>\n
Those to watch in Friday night\u2019s elite women\u2019s race of 12 \u00bd laps include Shepparton\u2019s Brooke Williams, Ballarat\u2019s Claire Johnson, Katherine Dowie and Eliza Lepair, South Bendigo\u2019s Taryn Furletti and Yazmin Hayes, and Bendigo University\u2019s Abbey Reid.<\/p>\n
In the elite men\u2019s 5km at 9pm it will be Nathan Stoate from Bendigo Harriers chasing back-to-back victories up against the likes of Wendouree\u2019s Josh Hawkes, South Melbourne\u2019s Musa Genemo Jegula, and Wendouree\u2019s Jacob Cheesman.<\/p>\n
Bendigo\u2019s open track record of 14:10 was set by University\u2019s Andy Buchanan in 2022.<\/p>\n
Bendigo young guns such as Logan Tickell and Jayden Padgham will be aiming to break the under-20 mark of 14:42 set by Uni\u2019s Ned Buckell two years ago.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A WORLD age group champion in marathon running, Bendigo Harriers star Jill Wilkie will race in Friday night\u2019s 5km Frenzy at the Retreat Road athletics complex in Flora Hill. Wilkie is among 85 athletes to have nominated for the fourth edition of the Bendigo Harriers-run classic. The gun athlete ran the 42.2km of last year\u2019s […]<\/p>\n