Pompeani Returning for Another Bite at Burnie

Up until Sunday, she was the fastestwomen to ever run 10km in Australia.  NowLeanne Pompeani has the motivation to run even faster at the Strait Link Burnie10 on Sunday 27 October.

The Canberra based athlete won the 2022 edition of the event and said she waslooking forward to returning for the 40^th edition of Australia’spremier community running event.

“I’m back for Burnie 2024 after missing out in 2023 due to injury. I have onlyraced Burnie once, so I’m really excited to be back and able to run here again.I won the race in 2022, so my first Burnie 10 experience was a pretty good one.Burnie is a beautiful place and I love the way the town really gets behind thisrace,” Pompeani said.

Pompeani kicked on from her 2022 victory, with a gutsy run at the WorldAthletics Cross Country Championships and then breaking the record for theAustralian all-comers record over 10km, in winning the 2023 Launceston 1031:37.  The performance took the recordfrom Tasmanian Kylie Risk, who set the previous mark of 31:42 at Burnie in1999.

Sadly some niggles took hold shortly after and impacted the rising star for aperiod of time.  She then returned tonational level racing with a force, dropping a 69:20 to win the Gold CoastMarathon in July against a top flight field.

On Sunday just gone, Izzi Batt-Doyle eclipsedPompeani’s all-comers record, running 31:12 in Melbourne.  

“The first half of 2024 I was struggling to find form and lacking a lot ofconfidence, but since June I started feeling myself again and have reallyenjoyed getting out and racing the road races here in Australia,” the 28 yearold said.

With 39 years of world class distance running history, Pompeani knows the fieldwill be exceptionally tough for the 40^th anniversary.

“To come back and win again would mean a lot. I know it will take some seriousracing to take the win, Burnie 10 always has stacked women and men’s fields.With the quality and depth of women we have now in Australia, if we get goodweather conditions, we could be on for something quick,” she said.

The 2024 Strait Link Burnie 10 is on Sunday October 27.