History is against him but Clarke up to task
ROB Clarke will aim to do what no person has done in the 27-year history of the Gold Coast Run Festival – claim back-to-back titles.
The defending 50km winner will return on Sunday determined to make history.
Making the task tougher for the 43-year-old Gold Coast athlete is the fact he is coming back from a leg injury.
“It’s not that easy (to win two consecutive races) or it would have been done already,” Clarke said.
“With the extreme temperature, it comes down to 50 per cent luck on the day and, having recently suffered an injury, it makes the task an even greater challenge. But I believe it can be done.
“It is such an iconic event and it’s growing every year, bringing runners from all over the world to try what the locals have always known is the greatest 50km road ultramarathon.”
The 50km race is held on a Gold Coast beachfront course stretching from Kurrawa to Coolangatta and back.
There are a host of other race distances and events including a 30km, 15km, 5km beach run, two-person 25km relay and 2.5km and 1km beach run options for children.
Race director Shane Smith said about 2500 people were expected to race across all the categories on the day after hosting 2200 last year.
Smith said the event would also pay tribute to race founder Ian Cornelius, who died recently, by naming the perpetual club challenge trophy after him.
“One of the things Ian did that was amazing was get all the running clubs involved,” Smith said.