'Floodgates open' as Buchanan sets new marathon mark

Andy Buchanan has dazzled in Spain, smashing the Australian record for the men's marathon. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Australia's marathon pace-setter Andy Buchanan admits he's no longer "the guy from Bendigo that does a bit of running" after shattering the national mark in Spain.

The Paris Olympian made history as the first Australian to beat the two hour, seven minute barrier with his record-breaking run of 2:06:22 at the Valencia Marathon.

Finishing 16th, he lowered Brett Robinson’s mark by more than one minute (2:07:31), a 2022 effort at the same Valencia race that ended Robert de Castella's 36-year hold on the record.

Isobel Batt-Doyle (2:22:59) soared to third on the Australian all-time list, shaving 28 seconds off her personal best to finish eighth and jump ahead of fellow Olympians Genevieve Gregson and Lisa Weightman.

Isobel Batt-Doyle (left).
Isobel Batt-Doyle (left) clocked a personal-best time to finish eighth in Spain.

Only Sinead Diver (2:21.34, Valencia, 2022) and Benita Willis-Johnson (2:22.36, Chicago, 2006) have run faster.

Both Buchanan and Batt-Doyle qualified for next September's world athletics championships in Tokyo.

Batt-Doyle's qualification is particularly sweet after being one of three Australian women not selected to run the Olympics marathon from the six who ran the Paris qualification time. 

Similarly, 33-year-old Buchanan was a reserve for the Paris Olympics but was a late call-up for the injured Robinson.

"Brett and Sinead were the trend-setters," Buchanan said. 

"They were the first ones to make those big jumps and we’re just following in their footsteps. 

"Brett showed that I could do it and, credit to them, they worked at it for so long, and now we all feel like we can do it too because they did.

“The floodgates are definitely open. I will definitely enjoy this record for as long as I have it, but it’s going to take me a little bit to process it.

"I still consider myself to be the guy from Bendigo that does a bit of running."

Averaging 2:59 minutes per kilometre, Buchanan battled fatigue as he tried to do the maths when the prospect of the record and the 2:06:30 world titles qualification mark became a possibility.

“I feel like I’ve really transformed as an athlete this year,” he said.

“I felt confident I could go around the 2:07:15 mark, and I kind of had this thought where the record would have been a bonus after such an awesome year, so if I go for it and blow up, I’d still look back on the year and be really happy with it.''

License this article

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store