At 6pm on Saturday night, 31-year-old Bendigo athlete Andy Buchanan will make his debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
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Competing in the marathon event at Birmingham marks Buchanan's first-time at the Commonwealth Games, and even though he is over the other side of the earth back home friends, family and fellow athletes will be cheering him on.
Related:
Athletics Bendigo and Bendigo University Aths Club is hosting a free marathon watch party at the La Trobe University Athletics Track in Flora Hill.
The celebrations start with a BBQ at 5pm followed by the 42.2km race at 6pm (AEST).
More details on the free event and how to register is available here.
ANDY BUCHANAN
The 31-year-old has developed into one of Australia's best distance runners.
He earned his place in Saturday's marathon in Birmingham by running a slick time of two hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds in his marathon debut in Hamburg in April.
Remarkably, it was the equal 25th fastest time by an Australian athlete for the 42.2km distance.
Buchanan will come up against a world-class field on a hilly course in Birmingham.
"I've only done one marathon and that course was pretty flat, so this will be a challenge,'' he said before leaving for Birmingham.
"It will suit me because growing up in Bendigo there's not much flat terrain.
"It's exciting that if I have a really good race I have the potential to be in the top 10 or maybe top five.
"If everything really goes my way I could possibly medal, which wouldn't happen at any other major championship because there's so many other strong runners."
Buchanan is just one of several Central Victorian athletes going for gold in Birmingham.
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