A quality line-up of Australian distance talent will line up for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships this year, including Milly Clark from the NSW Institute of Sport.

The Championships will take place in Valencia, Spain, in March.

Milly Clark (NSWIS), Sinead Diver (Vic) and Ellie O’Kane (Vic) make up the women’s field while Collis Birmingham (Vic), Brett Robinson (Vic), Harry Summers (Vic), DeJen Gebreselassie(Tas), and Thomas DoCanto (NSW). Australia will be eligible for the men’s and women’s team events.

It will be Clark’s second time at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, having also represented Australia two years ago in Cardiff, Wales. Clark finished 13th (1:10:48) in a PB in Cardiff in what she described as ‘one of the best trips of her life’, just behind compatriot and teammate Eloise Wellings in 12th.

“It’s exactly what I wanted,” said Clark of the selection for the 2018 event. “I was really glad to get that call.”

Injury troubles late in 2017 mean saw the Rio Olympic marathon representative shift her focus for this year from the Commonwealth Games to the 21.2km event.

“It was always a goal, but it was always a matter of ‘is it Commonwealth Games or the half?’ because you can’t do both” said Clark. “This is exactly what I want to do.”


Credit: Getty Images

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