NSW 10,000m: Ed good on his return to track

17 Oct 2025

NSW 10,000m: Ed good on his return to track

We saw contrasting races at last night’s NSW 10,000m championships held at The Crest track in Bankstown. In the men’s we were treated to a master class from Ed Goddard, while Cicely Brown won asee-sawing battle in the women’s race.

MEN 10,000 METRES

From the gun, Ed Goddard (UTS Norths) was all business, putting a seven second gap on the field after three laps. The margin was out to 13 seconds at 5000m (14:52 split) and a comfortable margin of 46 seconds at the finish tape, where he stopped the clock at 30:19.13.

Largely competing on the roads over the last two years, Goddard was making a rare track appearance.

“I just thought it'd be fun to come out here and just get on the track and get in the spikes before Zatopek, which is sort of the goal. I haven't worn spikes for the last 12 months, so it was a good opportunity to do that,” he said.

He was reasonably happy with his performance.

“I’m just in a big training block at the moment, so I just thought, it was a good opportunity to come and do a good solid threshold on the track. It was decent today as it was pretty windy out, I think everyone struggled. There was a lot of lap traffic at the end.

“I went out under 15 minute pace, but in the second half, I was going around people and stuff and just kept the effort the same.”

Over the last two years Goddard had been working towards a definite goal, after running two great half marathon times of 62.07 and 62.01 in late 2024.

“I’ve had some different goals and different targets. The plan was to do World Roads Championships this year, which I would have qualified for, but it was cancelled.”

He has also changed sponsors with Saucony jumping into support his athletics journey and allow him to train fulltime.

Tonight’s win by Goddard was his second in the event, following the 2020 victory, an historic mid-COVID race where the line-up was stunning as athletes have been starved on racing due to the pandemic. That year three went under 29 minutes including Goddard and Ben St Lawrence. The race also included two subsequent winners Josh Phillips (6th, winner in 2023 and 2024) and Drew Fryer (13th, winner in 2022).

Second tonight was Stefan Music (RBH, 31:05.70) and third Drew Fryer (RBH, 31:10.53).

WOMEN 10,000 METRES

In complete contrast, the women’s race was not decided until the last metre of the race. Laura Simon (Newcastle Flyers) made a fast start, leading by five seconds after the first lap and was out to 14 seconds by lap three. An initial pack behind her was also quickly dispersed.

Making the running behind Laura was her training partner, in the Ben Twomey squad, Cicely Brown and Uni NSW’s Caitlyn Tan. Brown had some inside information to assist her.

“Laura (Simon) is always in front of me at training,” said Brown. “And I knew that she could run a really strong 10k. So I let her go and I gauged my effort kind of off her. But then when I saw at about 4k she wasn't gapping me I just stuck it out and that's when I started working together with Caitlin Tan. We ended up taking turns and we eventually caught Laura and I knew that's when I was going to have a good day because I never beat her. So we caught Laura and continued to work together and with 1200 to go. “

Even with the finish line in sight and the State title on the line, they continued to work together.

Brown recalled Caitlyn Tan saying, ‘I'll take this one, you take the next one.’ It was really awesome just to have a partner to work with. It was super cool. She pulled me through. I reckon a lot of it's down to Caitlyn, she kept me honest.”

Coming up the home straight for the last time, Brown and Tan were running side-by-side. Brown just out dipped Tan on the line by 0.07 seconds, as they recorded times of 37:23.54 to 37:23.61 seconds.

For Caitlyn Tan, who arrived with PBs of 18:14 (5000m) and 10:23 (3000m), it was a breakthrough performance. She reflected on her effort.

“My coach Deb (Walsham), told me, even if it feels slow, just to hold back. She said just break it down, K by K.

“I didn't want to push too hard too early because I'm aware everyone's much more experienced than me.”

But then she caught the leader..what was thinking?

“Like, did I make a mistake? Because usually there are lots of much more experienced girls who know how to race.”

She then started working with Cicely Brown. “We made a plan,” she recalled. There was another thing she did:

“To relax I smile because running is fun.”

Laura Simon continued on strongly to the finish to take bronze in 38:02.25. It was a victory for the Ben Twomey squad and Newcastle flyers club who had two on the podium.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW
Image: Ed Goddard (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)