Eloise Wellings won’t be around to defend her PAYCE Sutherland 2 Surf title next month but fortunately she has a great excuse.
The Cronulla athlete will be in the US preparing for her Rio Olympics campaign in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres events.
Wellings was the first female across the line last year in a time of 36 minutes and 24 seconds in her first crack at running the event competitively.
But instead of defending her title at the 45th running of the Sutherland 2 Surf on July 24, the 33-year-old will be in the final stages of preparation for her second Olympic games.
Wellings, a three-time Commonwealth Games athlete, used her home event as vital preparation for the IAAF World Championships in Beijing last year.
This year she is already training in London for the Olympics, which are in Rio from August 5 to 21, before heading to the US.
The event, which is a major fundraiser for the Wanda Surf Lifesaving Club, is one of the biggest annual events on the shire sporting calendar.
Wellings’ foundation, Love Mercy, has also had a long affiliation with the race, having raised thousands of dollars through the event since 2010.
Ugandan dual Olympian and former child soldier Julius Achon will head up the Love Mercy team in Wellings’ absence this year.
Love Mercy aim to have 300 runners representing them this year and have set out to raise $150,000 to provide 5,000 Ugandan women with agricultural seed loans.
The Athlete’s Foot, who will sponsor the youth category, will donate a pair of Brooks runners to the person who raises the most money for Love Mercy.
Wanda SLSC president Mark Sargeant said they were looking forward to this year’s event.
“Many people don’t realise but Wanda Surf Lifesaving Club is also a charity,” he said.
“The event raises vital funds for surf lifesaving and also supports other charities like the Love Mercy Foundation and the St George and Sutherland Medical Research Foundation.”
The SSMRF raises money for lifesaving research in local hospitals.
More than 7,000 runners took part in the 11-kilometre journey from Sutherland to Wanda Beach last year, with organisers hopeful of another impressive turnout.
Canberra runner Jordan Gusman was the first male across the line last year, one second ahead of Matthew Cox with Barden Ridge’s Bryce Coles-Sinclair third.
This year, all runners will receive a race medallion as a memento. Athletes can enter online at sutherland2surf.com.au, with the early bird discount ending July 6.
