Media release – Burnie 10, 17 October 2024
Elite Field Announcement Strait Link Burnie 10
A stellar field of international level athletes has been assembled for the 40th celebration of the Strait Link Burnie 10.
The famous race has hosted a roll call of the nation’s top endurance athletes over the past four decades and this year is no different.
Irish national 5000m record holder Brian Fay adds some flavour to an otherwise domestic cast. Untested on the roads over 10km, he boasts a track 10,000m PB equal to Jack Rayner’s course record of 27:43. It will be his first race since the Paris Olympics a little over two months ago.
Launceston’s James Hansen will be keen to become just the second Tasmanian man to win the famous race. A previous placegetter, he comes into the race with the fastest 10km personal best, a 28:20 in winning the 2022 Launceston Ten.
2021 Burnie 10 winner and current Launceston Ten champion Isaac Heyne is the only previous winner to return and will be one of six men with lifetime bests under 29min. Runner-up from 2021 Jack Bruce makes the trip from Brisbane again, with Launceston’s Sam Clifford and Andre Waring expected to fight out for the top prize.
The women’s field includes 2022 winner Leanne Pompeani and 2021 champion Caitlin Adams. Pompeani is in extraordinary form, having disposed of a ripper field in the half marathon in Melbourne on the weekend. The Canberra based athlete tore away from Paris Olympians Jess Stenson and Izzi Batt-Doyle as she entered the MCG on Sunday and enters this year’s race full of confidence.
The time will be interesting to watch for Pompeani, as she held the Australian 10km all-comers record until last month when Batt-Doyle broke it. If she is to get the record back, it’ll be some performance as Batt-Doyle lowered the mark to 31:12 in breaking the Australian record. Either way, the course record of 31:42 from Kylie Risk in 1999 appears under threat.
Olga Firsova and Natalie Rule make the trip back to race in Tasmania, while Ruby Smee starts as the number one local seed. Australian 3000m steeplechase champion and Paris Olympian Cara Feain-Ryan will make her debut over 10km on the roads.
The full fields for the elite component of the 2024 Strait Link Burnie 10 are;
| Men | PB |
| Brian Fay | Debut |
| James Hansen | 28:20 |
| Isaac Heyne | 28:34 |
| Jack Bruce | 28:41 |
| Sam Clifford | 28:56 |
| Andre Waring | 28:58 |
| Logan Janetzki | 29:07 |
| Arron Spiessberger-Parker | 29:30 |
| Hamish Longworth | 29:31 |
| Bailey Murzecki-Hince | 29:34 |
| Harrison McGill | 29:36 |
| Nick Earl-Jones | 29:43 |
| Grant Page | 30:06 |
| Thomas Dowd | 30:08 |
| Caden Murray | 30:29 |
| Jesse Dunsmore | 30:46 |
| John Portwood | 30:47 |
| Jonathon Giakoumis | 31:30 |
| Phil McConnon | 31:53 |
| Angus Lennecke | 32:20 |
| Women | PB |
| Leanne Pompeani | 31:37 |
| Caitlin Adams | 32:27 |
| Natalie Rule | 32:42 |
| Olga Firsova | 32:43 |
| Ruby Smee | 33:07 |
| Cara Feain-Ryan | Debut |
| Kate Spencer | 33:50 |
| Isobel Hume | 34:13 |
| Ella Logan | 34:19 |
| Alexandra Blake | 34:37 |
| Samantha Phillips | 34:54 |
| Shania Murray | 35:41 |
| Amy O’Halloran | 36:02 |
| Kaitlin McIntosh | 37:15 |
The 2024 Strait Link Burnie 10 is on Sunday October 27. Entries are open at https://www.burnieten.com.au
