Barooga's Brooke Williams set a new PB and finished in the top 10 in her race category at the recent Australian Marathon Championships in Sydney.
Photo by
Ben Levy
Barooga runner Brooke Williams has smashed a personal best and finished in the top 10 of her category at the recent Australian Marathon Championships full marathon in Sydney.
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On Sunday, August 31, Williams, 35, ran the 42.195km marathon in a time of two hours, 47 minutes and 11 seconds, more than nine minutes faster than her previous best of two hours, 56 minutes and 19 seconds.
Blustery winter conditions throughout the undulating course saw Williams finish ninth out of 160 championship women.
Williams said she went away in disbelief at her result.
“I knew I was sitting somewhere between 2:45 and 2:50, but honestly, I didn’t believe it,” she said.
Out of the broader TCS Sydney Marathon, which hosted the Australian Marathon Championships, Williams finished 21st out of 11,482 females, and sixth out of 1419 runners in the 35-39 years age group.
This race felt easier than her first marathon, with Williams attributing the difference down to her rigorous preparation.
“I didn’t feel like I hit a wall. I felt tired, but I knew I could back off and still hold the pace,” she said.
In one heart-stopping moment, Williams tripped and fell around the 15km mark while reaching for a water bottle.
Her race might have ended there.
But Williams got up, dusted herself off and didn’t skip a beat until she crossed the finish line at the Opera House forecourt.
Williams with fellow runner Lauren Reid and Kenyan Olympic marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge. Photo: Supplied.
“It was a really good feeling, crossing that finish line,” she said.
But while the race might have left her body sore and tired, it has only motivated Williams to take on her next challenge.
She already has her sights set on another full marathon, this time in Osaka, Japan.
The plan of attack?
“Run faster,” Williams said.
“I think one of my biggest learnings was I’m so used to having a higher training frequency.
“But I learnt you can’t bank your training if you don’t have those days off.”
The course took Williams and almost 33,000 other runners through Sydney’s central business district, across the harbour and through suburbia.
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