Capping a weekend of Australian sporting pride after the World Cup, runner Brett Robinson has broken the marathon record of one of Australia’s sporting greats, Rob De Castella.
Robinson ran 2:07.31 in Fukuoka, Japan, to break the 36-year-old record held by the former world champion and Australia’s greatest ever marathoner.
Brett Robinson broke Rob De Castella’s marathon record in Japan.Credit:Getty Images
Robinson cut 20 seconds from De Castella’s record of 2:07.51 set in Boston in 1986 as he finished fourth in the 42.2-kilometre race, in just his eighth marathon, in Japan.
“It’s such a great feeling. I’ve gone for this record a few times now, and it’s funny – I always talk about going for it before a race but I didn’t mention it to anyone this time around. I went about my own business and I finally got it. I knew I was capable of it,” Robinson said.
“The current crop of Australian athletes are smashing records at the moment, and this was one of the last long-standing ones for us to tick off, so it means a lot to me to finally get this today.”
The 31-year-old has been in career-best form, setting a PB of 2:09.52 at the London marathon on November 2. In Japan, he slashed his personal best by two minutes and set a new national and Oceania record.
Coincidentally, Fukuoka was the marathon where De Castella had his breakthrough performance in 1981 when he ran 2:08.18, which was a then world record time for an out-and-back marathon. De Castella went on the next year to win gold in Helsinki at the world athletics championships. It was Australia’s first ever gold medal at a world athletics championships.
Olympic legend and marathon great Steve Moneghetti said he was unsurprised that Robinson was the one to break De Castella’s record.
“It’s not a surprise that he’s broken the record because his progression has shown he has been capable of doing this, but this is just terrific. To be so competitive with a fourth-place finish shows what he can do on the world stage too,” Moneghetti said.
“I also want to give credit to Deek for holding the record for so long. We’ve been waiting for it to be broken for so many years now, and we need to acknowledge just how hard it’s been for anyone to get even close.″
Australia’s All-Time Top 10 – Men’s Marathon:
- Brett Robinson, 2:07.31 – Fukuoka, Japan (4.12.2022)
- Rob de Castella, 2:07.51 – Boston, USA (21.4.1986)
- Steve Moneghetti, 2:08:16 – Berlin, Germany (30.9.1990)
- Derek Clayton, 2:08.33 – Antwerp, Belgium (30.5.1969)
- Pat Carroll, 2:09.39 – Beppu-Oita, Japan (5.2.1995)
- Lee Troop, 2:09:49 – Lake Biwa, Japan (2.5.2003)
- Gary Henry, 2:10:09 – Fukuoka, Japan (7.12.1980)
- Brad Camp, 2:10:11 – Gold Coast, Australia (23.7.1989)
- Dave Chettle, 2:10:20 – Fukuoka, Japan (7.12.1975)
- Shaun Creighton, 2:10:22 – Berlin, Germany (28.9.1997) & Nick Harrison 2:10:22 – Beppu-Oita, Japan (3.2.2003)
