#LeonoraGG
May29,2016
MEDIARELEASE
OlympicVeteranAgainEyesLineHonoursInLeonora
Veteran Olympian runner Jeff Riseley will lead the cream of Australia’s track athletes to
battleitoutforlinehonoursatthisyear’sLeonoraGoldenGiftEliteMile.
One of Australia's best ever distance runners and a multiple winner of past Leonora Elite
Mileevents,RiseleyissettoleadastellarfieldinLeonoraontheWADaylongweekend.
HotonhisheelsisastackedfieldofAustralia'syoung guns,readytotakedownthetwice
Olympicrunnerandclaimvictory.
Fieldorganiser,Runner’sTribe’sRossJohnson,saidyesterdaythatsomeofAustralia’sbest
trackathleteswereheadingtoLeonorafornextweekend’sGoldenGiftCarnival.
“We have assembled some of Australia's finest middle distance athletes to showcase their
abilitiesinLeonora,”MrJohnsonsaid.
“Thisraceisastapleonthemiddledistancecalendarandhasbeenwonbythewho'swhoof
Australianrunning.
“Theexperienceislikenootherandtheathletesarehonouredtobepartofsuchapositive
event.”
The2016LeonoraGoldenGift’smen’sandwomen’sEliteMileracesarethetwinhighlights
oftheLeonoraGoldenGiftCarnival,toberunfromFridayJune3toMondayJune6.
Runners leading the field at this year’s event include 2015 men’s Elite Mile winner Zak
Patterson, former World Beer Mile record holder James Hansen and 2015 Golden Gift
finalistChrisDalewhoransecondinthisyear’sWAState1500m.
They will be joined in Leonora’s historical Tower Street by top Australian middle distance
runnerDouglasHamerlok,veteranNSWathletesCharlieHunterandAndreWaring,andtop
middledistancerunnerMattClarkefromVictoria.
The Women’s Elite Mile is expected to be dominated by top seed Bridey Delaney, current
Oceanianrecordholderand2013Australiancrosscountrychampion.
“The gifted Bridey Delaney returns to Leonora in pursuit of her first ever victory,” Mr
Johnsonsaid.
“Chasing her down will be the likes of WA's Jessica Ronan and Kate Elizabeth Fitzsimons,
whoareinterrificformheadingintotherace.”
StrongcompetitionisexpectedfromRonan,whoachievedsixthplaceoverallinlastyear’s
AustralianXCVNationalsandcame22ndoverallintheWorldSchoolsXCChampionshipsin
Hungary last month, while Fitzsimons was the third Australian at last year’s Zatopek 10k
NationalChampionships.
Another solid contender, Melinda Witchard, was a finalist in the 2016 Women’s National
1500mraceandabronzemedallistinthe2016NSWStateWomen’s1500m.
TheGoldenGift’sEliteMilefieldalsoincludesWAathleteBenChamberlainwhomadethe
Australian team for the Youth Commonwealth Games, WA champion 800m sprinter Peter
Bol,national1500mfinalistJackStapletonandTasmanian5000mand3000mrecordholder
StewartMcSweyn.
In addition, the women’s Elite Mile will include Charlotte Wilson who ran third in the
Australian Athletics and Commonwealth Selection Trials, 2016 Australian Athletics
Championships veteran Amy Brown, under-20 800m WA champion Phoebe Lawes and
AbigailRoseRegan,theindoormilerecordholderatWashingtonStateUniversity.
Availableforcomment:
ShireofLeonoraPresidentPeterCraig-0418950572
ShireofLeonoraCEOJimEpis-0418118220
ENDS
Mediacontact:
FrancesThornton
Ph:0405135304
Email:[email protected]
www.leonoragoldengift.com
NotetoEditors
ThereareprovisionsformediatoattendtheLeonoraGoldenGift,pleasecontactFrances
Thorntonforfurtherinformationon0405135304orfrances@francesthornton.cm.au
Broadcastqualityvideoandphotoswillbeavailablethroughouttheweekend.
AboutLeonora
Leonora is part of the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia and has a rich
history of mining, exploration and a well-established pastoral industry. An outback town
withadifference,you’llenjoyvisitingGwalia,anabandonedoldminingvillagethathasbeen
restoredtoitsoriginalconditionandboastsoneofAustralia’sfinestmuseums.
ViewtheLeonoraGoldenGiftPromotionalVideohere.
2016Programme
LeonoraGoldenGift
Australia’sbestathletesbattleitoutoveramiledownLeonora’smainstreet.Heats
Saturday,finalsonSunday.
LeonoraGoldenWheels
WatchtheexcitingfinishofstagetwooftheGoldfieldsCyclassiconSunday.
HorseRacing
AttheLeonoraRaceclubSaturdayandMonday
CommunityConcert&Fireworks–MainStreet(Saturday)
TheLulus–WA’sfavouritechildren’sentertainers
Murphy’sLore–FeaturingCourtneyMurphy(AustralianIdol2004)andChrisMurphy
(AustralianIdol2006)
MichaelStangel–TheVoice,2013
ConcertUndertheStarsatHooverHouse(Sunday)
MichaelStangel–TheVoice,2013
BigT–X-Factor2015
FrankDixon–Under18AustralianSongwriteroftheYear
Akmal-I’maCelebrityGetMeOutofHere2016
Plus:
Kid’sZonewithSilentDisco
MarketStalls
LeonoraArtPrize
Andmuchmore!