Shelley begins marathon effort in backyard
MICHAEL Shelley would like nothing more than to defend his Commonwealth Games marathon title on home soil.
But the 34-year-old almost feels like that would be asking too much.
With the Games already in his home city and the event marking Shelley’s first marathon in Australia, he feels like he has won already.
Oxenford resident Shelley was among 14 athletes named in Athletics Australia’s early intake of its 111-member Games team yesterday as Commonwealth Games Australia confirmed the nomination of the country’s marathoners and some distance runners and athletes with a disability ahead of next month’s trials.
Shelley won gold in the marathon in Glasgow in 2014, adding to a silver medal from Delhi in 2010.
The proud Gold Coaster honed his preparations for the April 15 marathon at the Ooredoo marathon in Qatar last week, finishing sixth in 1hr 3min 20sec. But that will be the extent of his travels, with Shelley to ready himself for the race by training in his backyard.
“I’m not going anywhere, I’m going to train here because I live here,” he said.
“It’ll be my first marathon on home soil.
“What more could I ask for – a Commonwealth Games in my home city and my first marathon in Australia.
“It’s exciting, everyone is talking about it now, especially since the course has been announced.”
Shelley knows he will be a marked man as the defending champion.
“You probably have a bit more of a target on your back but you probably get a bit more support because it’s your home town,” he said. “You’ve just got to embrace it all.
“In some ways I don’t really know what to expect – but I’ve got to go out there, do my training and all the other things are out of my control.”
Australian team Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti yesterday made the announcement of the initial athletics team members at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the heart of athletics during Australia’s last home Games in 2006. The remaining athletes in the Australian Athletic Team will be announced in late February.