“I’m raring to go!”
The lecturer at Newtown College is in the shape of his life as he prepares to take on some of the world’s greatest long distance runners on the streets of Australia’s Gold Coast.
Speaking to MyWelshpool from the Athletes Village, Andrew said that he has averaged 97 miles a week for the past 12 weeks in preparation for the race which is being held over a challenging course.
“Everything has gone to plan,” he said. “It’s going to be tough Sunday with the heat out here, but hopefully I’ve acclimatised well.
“I can’t wait to get started on Sunday now and I’m hoping for a sub 2:20. If I could get a sub 2:18 and a top eight position, that would be a very good run out here and I’d be delighted.
But I just need to go out there and do it now.
“I’ve had a nice couple of easy days following the gruelling training and hopefully my legs will feel fresh on the day.”
Andrew has become one of Britain’s top endurance runners and qualified in stunning fashion for the Games at last year’s London Marathon.
He has tasted the big time on several occasions in the past, and was in the Wales vest four years ago at Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games. But he knows that Australia could well represent one of his finest moments yet.
Starting and finishing at the spectacular Southport Broadwater Parklands, the course will take athletes to a northern turn at Runaway Bay, on a flat and scenic route to a southern turn at Burleigh Heads, before an exciting final stretch back to Southport for the finish.
It gets underway at 8.15am Australia time (Sunday) which is 11.15pm Saturday time for us and it will be shown live on BBC.
PICTURE: Running man, Andrew, pictured with another local lad Tom Williams, who is a part of the Wales 7s side in action this weekend
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|