Victorian middle distance runner Jack Rayner has taken out back to back Strait Link Burnie 10s.
The course record holder looked comfortable, breaking away from the lead pack around 4 km into the race to set his own pace to cross the finish line in 29 minutes and 3 seconds, winning by 33 seconds from fellow Victorian Andre Waring.
The pair led home a field of more than 2600 who tackled the 10 and 5 km legs of the event in sunny conditions.
Rayner, the current Australian 10km road race champion and now two-times Burnie 10 winner is aiming to qualify for the 10,000m or 5000m at next year’s Paris Olympics with his track season starting in coming weeks.
The women’s Burnie 10 was won by Australian marathon record holder Sinead Diver, also from Victoria, who put the disappointment of second places in 2021 and 2022, to break through for a well-deserved win.
First Tasmanian male home was Legana’s Sam Clifford, who finished sixth outright, while Penguin’s Lyn Saint John was the first Tasmanian woman to cross the line and 10th overall female.
