WOOD CONTINUES FAMILY’S WINNING TRADITION Casey Wood has a bright future. Forfilling her potential on August 10 she won the prestigious Sydney’s City2Surf race In the early stages of her distance running career, Woods recent win in Sydney’s City2Surf indicates her career is starting to spiral upwards, Her decision to run the City2Surf was at the last minute and race organisers first refused Woods entry in the Elite category. “They refused to let me in because they were full capacity, only offering me a category below elite”, the talented runner explained. “I persisted with them and mentioned that I was a serious runner, planning on placing top 3 in the event, and I would not be coming to Sydney if I was not accepted into Elite. “They finally managed to accept me despite the full capacity, which turned out to be a great outcome”. Wood not only proved she deserved to be there but proved to organisers she is currently one of Australia’s elite runners. “The city to surf was one of those races for me that I didn’t think I was going to win at first attempt, it’s a race most distance runners in Australia would dream of winning. The City2Surf is a 14km run from Sydney’s Hyde Park. The run features a testing 1.6km long ‘Heartbreak Hill’ and then eventually finishes at the spectacular Bondi Beach. Wood is now on the prestigious winners list alongside famous Australian female runners Kerryn McCann, Lisa Ondieki and more recently Jess Trengove. During the race Wood got out to a 20 second lead at the half way mark, maintaining this advantage and going on to win by just over 40 seconds. “There wasnt any point in the race that I thought I had won it until I crossed the line”, the Adelaide Crows supporter explained. “I never turn around in races so i had no idea how close the girls were, I just kept pushing till the end. It was the greatest moment in my running career so far. Wood is currently training for Adelaide’s Sunday Mail City-Bay and is a serious chance to win her second major race within a month. “The City to Bay is pretty important in terms of where I want to be in the lead up to the Half Marathon in Melbourne next month“, The full time Design Consultant, said. Casey has only raced in the City-Bay twice previous, finishing fourth last year behind three time winner Nikki Chapple, recent Commonwealth Games Bronze Medallist Jess Trengove and two time City2Surf winner Lara Tamsett, but this year she will be aiming to finish higher with Chapple, Trengove and Tamsett all injured for the race on September 21. Her biggest threat to winning the City-Bay next month will be Australia’s Commonwealth Games Steeplechaser Madeline Heiner “I think Heiner will be the favourite to win” a modest Wood said Wood’s father and coach, Grenville was an Australian Commonwealth Games runner in 1986, Olympic Marathon trial winner and he also won three City-Bay events in 1982, 1985 and 1988. “The City-Bay is the biggest race currently running in South Australia, and being on home ground with family and friends supporting you, It would be great to be the first family to have a father and daughter on the list of winners”, Wood said. Looking further ahead Wood is aiming at the Half Marathon in October and then the Zatopek 10kilometre event in December which is on the National circuit. Keen to perform strong in theses races she has increased her workload. Currently it is at 150kms a week and her coach believes she needs to get up around the 200kms a week if she continues her path to her first Marathon next year. Her twice a day training, long hour sessions normally include an 8km run in the morning and maybe further at night along with long repetition gym sessions, which is no doubt inspired by her idol English Marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe as Wood looks to her career goal. “Paula has shown that with hard work and determination, it is possible to be better than the Kenyans and Ethiopians,” Wood said. “One day I would love to travel the world for athletics.”
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 06:13:49 +0000
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