When Jeff Hunt makes his international debut on Sunday at the World Half Marathon Championships in Birmingham, it will be a longer distance that he has on his mind for future national representation. The 27 year old New South Welshman made his debut at the half marathon with a strong 62:44 on the Gold Coast in July, but it is the full 42.195km distance that he and coach Ken Green see as his future.
"Through the help of Mona [Steve Moneghetti], Ken and I have exchanged emails with a couple of guys we are hoping can get me into the Beppu Marathon for my debut. Behind World Half, thats probably the next most major event to think about," said Hunt.
With a recent resurgence of Australian distance running on the track, the choice to move up in distance is perhaps a wise one. With a relatively meagre 10000m personal best of 29:32.24 - he is surely capable of a time around a minute faster based on the improvements which lead to his half marathon performance - the issue isn't so much whether Hunt might be able to reach the qualifying standards of 28:05 and 28:25 for the Commonwealth Games, but that with athletes of the ilk of Collis Birmingham, Shawn Forrest, Michael Shelley and David McNeill in the mix that a time well under 28 minutes might be needed to just make the team.
On the other hand, the marathon is a very open event and one that athletes born in the 1980s have yet to stamp their authority on in Australia. Yet that is not to say that there aren't those who show promise at the distance. Take for example Queensland's Michael Shelley, who last year ran a virtually identicle time to Hunt in his debut at the half marathon and then placed 16th at the world half marathon championships. Shelley improved to 62:10 in a close second on the Gold Coast a few months ago but isn't contesting this year's world championship event, choosing to focus instead on the 10000m at Zatopek. But he has indicated that he will pursue a marathon in the new year if his track aspirations do not come to fruition.
So for Hunt, Sunday's race is not just the first time he will wear the green and gold in an IAAF championship, but a stepping stone towards further international representation.
"I want to put in a really good performance," he said.
"I want to equal, or better, my time from the Gold Coast. I can't really shoot for a place, because I just don't know what could happen on the day. It is my first major international event, so expectations need to be kept to a minimum, but that said, I don't want to come last. I definitely want to be in the top half of the field."
With athletes in the field of the calibre of Eritrea's Zersenay Tadese, who has won the past three editions of the event, it is likely the pace will be fast. At last year's event, held in difficult conditions in recently ordained city of the 2016 Olympics, Rio de Janeiro, Tadesse won by almost two minutes in 59:56. But generally, the race is a closely fought affair, often with numerous athletes under the one hour mark.
This provides a new challenge for Hunt.
"It will be a hell of a lot different to anything I've ever done. I wont feel the need to sit in the top ten, near the front, like I do back in Australia, but I've also got to keep my wits about me and not race overly conservative and wind up finishing lower than I'm capable of," he said."Ken and I agreed - well, maybe I was told - to race the guys from America, Japan and UK. I think thats the option that will yield a good result. I expect to be sitting in a large pack, which will be very different to the small group we had at the Gold Coast, so it may make a quicker pace feel easier.
"What won't suit me is going out way too fast. Running alongside Tadesse at 10k in 28mins wouldn't be the smartest thing to do!"
"This race has been in the plans since January of this year. I just needed to make sure that Gold Coast went to plan so I could be selected. In addition to national cross [where Hunt finished second to Clint Perrett], it was the major race we planned for.
"We felt it would be a good idea to get a half marathon or two in before I attempt a marathon. When looking at the summer calendar, it fits in nicely, allowing me to race at my best while also allowing me to keep up the training that I need to do."
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