Former Champions Highlight City2Surf Elite Race
Defending men’s champion Ed Goddard and 2022 women’s champion Leanne Pompeani will highlight a fast and competitive elite field at this Sunday’s City2Surf.
Sydneysider Goddard secured his maiden City2Surf title last year on his fifth attempt at the world-famous event. The 26-year-old will line up this weekend with his sights firmly set on claiming back-to-back victories.
“My preparation has been great for this year’s race. After racing overseas until late April I came home, took a down period and started to build up again with a large focus on City2Surf. I’ve been incorporating lots of hills into my training and trying to emphasise the importance of getting in that flow state required to run fast up and over the top of Heartbreak Hill,” said Goddard.
“If anything, I’m more nervous than last year as winning was such a memorable experience and it’s made me hungry to try to come back and do it again this year. I think the running community in Sydney is such a great place with the City2Surf at the centre so it’s always a top priority.”
Goddard’s winning time last year was 41:30, just a minute slower than Steve Moneghetti's longstanding course record of 40:03 set in 1991. While he’ll have one eye on the record, Goddard’s top priority is to secure his second City2Surf title.
“The course record will be in my sights sometime. The top priority is always winning in the first place but it’s definitely a goal to have a good crack at during my running career, whichever year it is,” he said.
Being from Sydney, the City2Surf means a lot to Goddard who grew up watching the race, and he is proud of the city’s running community and the legacy of the event.
“I think the popularity of the event highlights the great sport and fitness culture which Sydney has. It’s such a unique thing the sport of running has where as a competitor you can be doing the same event as 90,000 other people. The atmosphere in Bondi is always amazing and fingers crossed I can do my best on the big day.”
Ed Goddard (R) led last year's race from start to finish.
This year, Goddard will face serious challengers to his title defence in the shape of 2024 Gold Coast Half Marathon runner-up Isaac Heyne and 2024 Ballarat Marathon winner Thomas Do Canto.
Heyne, taking part in his first City2Surf, is in red hot form after finishing second at the Gold Coast Half Marathon last month and clocking a new personal best of 1:02:27.
“The City2Surf course sounds like it can be pretty hard. Form is temporary, so running well is a nice way to capitalise on it for the short period of time I have it. Winning races is hard, I have high expectations of myself but don’t always meet them. It’s been a stressful but valuable lesson to learn to give my best in the process and be content whatever the outcome is,” said Heyne.
The 24-year-old from Adelaide is hoping to capitalise on a solid block of training and racing after experiencing injuries over the past few years.
“Training has been going pretty well, after a tough last couple of years I’ve had to put the ego aside and had the focus on building consistency and confidence. Now the last couple of weeks I’ve had some sessions where I know things are going well,” he said.
“City2Surf is a great opportunity to represent my sponsors and team in front of lots of people. I’ve been really well supported when things have been tough, so racing is an opportunity for me to show spectators and my competitors what my team and I have been putting together.”
While Heyne will be making his City2Surf debut, Do Canto is no stranger to the iconic 14-kilometre course having finished as runner-up in both 2016 and 2017. The 38-year-old will be hoping 2024 is the year he can finally reach the top step of the podium.
The man who beat Do Canto to the tape both times was Harry Summers, who will line up again this weekend for the first time since his third victory in 2019.
In the women’s race, 2022 City2Surf champion Leanne Pompeani will start as favourite to retain her crown and is another athlete in excellent form heading into Sunday, having recently won the Gold Coast Half Marathon.
Leanne Pompeani will aim to win her second City2Surf title this weekend.
“It’s great to be back training consistently and to have races like City2Surf on my calendar. Since coming back from a couple of months overseas in Europe I have been getting back in and enjoying the road racing here in Australia,” said Pompeani.
“Being a City2Surf winner does add a bit of extra pressure, but racing is racing and you can only give what you have on the day. It’s going to be tough no matter what,” she said. “It would mean a lot to get the win again. I missed out on racing City2Surf last year due to injury and was really disappointed, so I’m thankful I get to be back on the start line again.”
Pompeani’s winning time two years ago was just 31 seconds slower than the women’s course record of 45:08 set in 2001 by Susie Power, and the Canberran is hoping to challenge that time further this weekend.
“The course record is something I have my eye on. The record held by Susie Power will be no easy task to beat. Ultimately it’s a race, so all the women on the start line will be out to beat each other, but if the record is in reach, why not,” she said.
Australian representative runner Lissy Duncan will line up for her second City2Suf on Sunday, with her 2018 performance earning second place. This year she is hoping to go one better.
“I raced in 2018 but shortly after moved to Japan for a couple of years to run professionally in the Ekiden competition. I had some health and injury issues following that and being ready for particular races is a challenge that comes with the nature of being an athlete, so this is the first year since then that the City2Surf has been able to fit in my schedule,” said Duncan.
“My preparation has been going well, I competed at the World Cross Country Championships earlier this year where I injured my foot, but I’ve been back doing longer distance training in preparation for this event.
“The City2Surf is such an iconic Australian race so improving on my second-place last time and getting the win would be a bucket list accomplishment for sure,” she said. “I love the community on the day, the scenic course and encouragement from spectators along the way. It’s truly a special event.”
Also hoping to snatch victory is Sydney’s Aynslee Van Graan, who is steadily building her collection of City2Surf podium finishes having secured third in 2022 and second in 2023. Only the elusive top step of the dais remains.
Another notable athlete is Rebecca Lowe, the 2008 City2Surf champion, who is making her return to racing after taking some time out to have her second baby. Lowe claimed her first and only City2Surf title 16 years ago when she was just 19 years old. In 2022 she finished ninth, 11 months after giving birth to her first child, and this year will be cheered on by both her one and two-year-old children.
Others to watch in the City2Surf women’s race are 2023 fourth place finisher Ella Logan, Australian Cross Country representative Paige Campbell, and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games steeplechase representative Georgia Winkcup.
