‘Really proud’ Aussie marathon star smashes national record
Australian women’s marathon running is again up in lights after Izzi Batt-Doyle sent the national record tumbling with a scintillating result in the United States.
The performances of Jessica Stenson, Sinead Diver, Genevieve Gregson, Eloise Wellings, Lisa Weightman, Ellie Pashley, Leanne Pompeani and Batt-Doyle have made the 2020s the strongest era of women’s marathon running Australia has ever enjoyed.
Izzi Batt-Doyle finishing the Chicago Marathon and breaking Jessica Stenson’s Australian women’s marathon record. Jan Figueroa
In the Chicago Marathon on Monday (AEDT), Batt-Doyle further bolstered the legacy of Australia’s modern-day marathon stars as she completed the 42.195-kilometre journey in two hours, 20 minutes and 38 seconds (2:20:38).
The Adelaide product broke a record set by another South Australian, Naracoorte’s Stenson, who in the Valencia Marathon in December 2025 clocked 2:21:24.
“I’m very, very happy. I feel a sense of relief because it’s something I really felt I could achieve and it’s been on my mind the past couple of years,” said Batt-Doyle, who finished sixth.
“I’m really proud I could achieve it today and I’m so happy.”
The 2:23:51 set by Lisa Ondieki in the Osaka International Ladies Marathon in 1988 remained the Australian record for 18 years.
That was until Benita Willis ran 2:22:36 in the Chicago Marathon in 2006. Willis held the record for 16 years.
Now, the record has been broken three times in the space of four years.
Diver took the record off Willis when she ran 2:21:34 in the Valencia Marathon in 2022, Stenson lowered the mark by 10 seconds in the same marathon last December, and Batt-Doyle has gone quicker again only 10 months later.
The quickest of Batt-Doyle’s five-kilometre splits was 16:36. The slowest? 16:47.
She covered the first half in 1:10:29, and the back half in 1:10:09.
Most runners, elites included, hit a wall somewhere after 30km and struggle home. Either that or pull out.
Batt-Doyle got quicker.
A champagne run in Chicago.
“I spent most of the race trusting our plan and the pacing strategy we had hoped to run to halfway in and hoped that I would feel strong in the second half,” she said.
Izzi Batt-Doyle celebrating her record-breaking run. Jan Figueroa
“It was quite warm and we knew going into this week that it was going to be a bit warmer than ideal marathon conditions, but we did what we could do to prepare for that. That’s hydrating a lot beforehand. Every opportunity there were water cups, I was splashing three or four water cups to keep cool.
“Honestly, we went through halfway in under the time needed to run 2:21, but I wasn’t sure because I felt like I was slowing in the second half as it was warmer, and just the general fatigue of the marathon.
“But ... you turn into the last 150 metres and I saw the clock, and that’s when I really started celebrating.”
Batt-Doyle’s previous personal best was 2:22:59, set in the Valencia Marathon in 2024, a handful of months after competing in the 5000m at the Paris Olympics.
She has smashed her personal best by a minute and 21 seconds.
“It knew I was going to get under 2:21, and that was a goal of mine, another time barrier,” she said.
“I was able to celebrate the last 150 metres, and seeing the clock, I gave a few fist pumps and smiles.
Jessica Stenson (left) and Genevieve Gregson, pictured with their children ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, are part of the strongest era of women’s marathon running in Australian history. Getty
“It was quite emotional.
“You can think you can do it and hope you can do it and be on pace to do it, but there is so much that can happen in the last five kilometres, or last one kilometre or even the last 400 metres.
“People can cramp, and have all sorts of things happen. I feel you can’t really celebrate or have that sense of finish line relief until you actually get there.
“So it was a really special moment.”
In most sports, 31-year-olds aren’t typically described as rising stars.
At 31, Batt-Doyle is absolutely a rising star. So is Pompeani, a 30-year-old from Canberra. Both are hoping to run the marathon at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The rest of the aforementioned modern-day marathon stars are veterans of the sport, and have proven deep into their 30s, and even 40s, that marathon running isn’t only a young person’s game.
Diver, who turns 50 in February, was the second woman home in the Melbourne Marathon on Sunday. She ran 2:28:49.
Weightman is 47, Wellings 43 and Stenson 39. Gregson and Pashley are 37.
In an indication of just how brilliant this era of Australian women’s marathon running is, consider that seven of the 10 fastest in the country’s history are competing currently.
They are all raising their proverbial glasses in a toast to Batt-Doyle today.
“I really feel honoured – that sums it up,” Batt-Doyle said.
“To be in that class of athletes, I’m really proud of that.”
