A strong field of athletes will be out to make history when they line up for the 16th annual University of Queensland Great Court Race on Wednesday, May 17.
The fields for the finals of the 636-metre dash around the sandstone cloisters of the University's picturesque Great Court were decided after a series of heats held last week.
The event is based on the Cambridge University Race, as featured in the film Chariots of Fire.
The challenge for competitors is to finish before the University bell tolls 12 times to be assured of a race record.
Engineering student Mark Abercromby, winner of the open men's category in 1997 and 1998, with a best time of 1 minute 29.70 seconds in 1998, will be out to complete a trifecta of wins before graduating at the end of the year.
Fastest qualifier was Business/Commerce student and first-time entrant Stuart Bowden with a time of 1.30.44, while third quickest was race veteran Marcus Katter in 1.31.24.
The current race record is 1.26.40 set in 1988 by four-time victor Simon Still.
Two-time open women's titleholder and last year's winner Belinda Lean, a former 400 metre and 800 metre Queensland Country Championships medallist who took a silver medal at this year's National University Championships, is in for a tough time if she is to defend her title.
Lean, a Speech Pathology student, was the last qualifier for the race after winning a slow second heat in 1.53.96, and will have to improve her time of 1.45.51 from last year to beat a hot field including fastest qualifier Nikki Egyed (1.45.48) and 1997 titleholder Kimberley MacIntosh, third fastest in a time of 1.47.70.
Egyed, a Human Movement Studies student, is the current University of Queensland 1500 metre Women's Champion and Australian Junior Triathlon Champion, and could threaten the current women's record of 1.41.68 set in 1993 by five-time champion Sandra Dawson.
The winner of the open men's and open women's events will receive $300 cash from UQ SPORT, with trophies and prizes for the minor placegetters. Successful relay teams will receive $250 from UQ SPORT.
The Great Court Race festivities will begin at 1pm with a skydiving demonstration, followed by a new event, the open relay mixed final, then the ICC relay women's final, the ICC relay men's final, the open women's final at 1.40pm and the open men's final at 1.45pm.
For more information, contact Nina Wright of UQ SPORT, telephone 3365 6035 or email NinaW@uqsport.uq.edu.au, or Brad Turner at UQ Communications, telephone 3365 2659 or email b.turner@mailbox.uq.edu.au.
