Bels' Reece Edwards wins Melbourne marathon
Belgrave’s Reece Edwards outkicked Aussie internationals Liam Adams and Ryan Gregson to take home the AUD 20k (£10,370) first prize at the Melbourne marathon.
Wearing his white Belgrave alt singlet, Reece was more than 2 minutes behind leader Adams at 35k, with Olympic finalist Gregson 22 seconds ahead in 2nd.
But a sharp injection of pace at 40k saw him storm into the MCG, stunning supporters and commentators who were expecting a Gregson win on his marathon debut. Reece’s expert wind-up saw him average 3:18/km from 25-30k, 3:16 from 30-35, 3:12 from 35-40 and then an unstoppable 3:06/km for the final 2.2k.
He was clapped across the line by fellow Aussie star Stewy McSweyn, who had just arrived back in Melbourne for the winter a week after turning out for Belgrave in the national 6-stage road relays.
The performance is all the more remarkable in light of Reece’s recent battles with stress fractures…
9 weeks post L) ilium stress fracture and I am finally back running consistently. The last 2 marathon builds I have ended up with a stress fracture. 13 weeks to get fit for Melbourne marathon then return to kosciuszko miler to finish what I started last year. pic.twitter.com/xyuJvb1mMg
— Reece Edwards (@Reecedwards24) July 16, 2023
…and the fact that his wife, fellow Belgravian Michelle, is due to give birth in the coming days. We wish their family all the very best!
