Smart money on Hunt: 2011 Gold Coast Half Marathon Men's Preview

THE early smart money in Sunday’s ASICS Half Marathon men’s race is deservedly on 2010 champion and New Delhi Commonwealth Games marathoner Jeff Hunt from Sydney.

Hunt, 28, will be out to become the first runner to win consecutive ASICS Half Marathons on the Gold Coast and is aiming to improve his own personal best of 1:02:44 in doing so.

He'll also be looking to book himself a berth in the full marathon at September's IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, by clocking under one hour, four minutes and 30 seconds.

Despite his experience and knowledge of the Gold Coast course, the defending champion will be challenged by a pair of Japanese speedsters in Daisuke Koyama, 24, and Hiroki Tanaka, 28, and Athens 2004 Olympics track competitor, Brisbane 32-year-old Peter Nowill.

Koyama is out to post a sub 65 minute run while countryman Tanaka has pledged to do the same.

Nowill is the ‘been there, done that’ man in the field, but the six-time national steeplechase champion will need to keep his eyes on the road if he’s to better his 1:04:29 personal best.

25-year-old Ben Toomey from Melbourne could be the smokey in the field.

The 2010 Christchurch Half Marathon second placegetter has teasingly declared he’s just after a ‘good competitive run’ on the Gold Coast.

However he approaches the race, Toomey will have plenty of Australian lead pack company along the course in Jay Phillpots (VIC), Vlad Shatrov (NSW), Bryan Lyons (TAS).

The leading Gold Coasters are likely to be Scott Whimpey, Joshua-Kaleb Faulkner and Matthew Hobbs.

The race record is 1:01:16 set by Kenyan Benson Masaya in 1992.