Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia woke this morning to news that wheelchair racing champion and adopted Novocastrian, Kurt Fearnley, had won the Chicago Marathon for a fifth time. After the disappointment of runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014, Kurt returned to the top of the winners' podium with a thrilling win in a sprint finish, with 11 athletes finishing within 10 seconds of the winner after 42.2 gruelling kilometres on the streets of Chicago. The victory was Kurt's 40th marathon win in his 15-year racing career. It comes on the back of a record 10th win in Sydney Marathon last month. He described the result as 'somewhat routine' on Twitter this morning. He said:

Chicago marathon down. Good roll, great win. Busy couple of hrs then flight home for 3 days. Then Doha World Champs & finish at @nycmarathon

It may be routine for Kurt but 42 kilometres is not routine for most. Kurt will join his Australian team mates in Doha for the IPC Athletics World Championships, where he will compete over the shorter 1,500-metre and 5,000-metre distances. Not resting there, he will go back across the Pacific to New York for his final race of 2015, the New York Marathon, where he will attempt to defend his 2014 title.

On behalf of all Novocastrians and Australians, I congratulate Kurt on his Chicago win and wish him and all of his Australian teammates all the very best for their performances in the world championships.