NSW 10,000m: Stefan Music and Caitlyn Roach crowned first track champions of the summer

15 Oct 2026

NSW 10,000m: Stefan Music and Caitlyn Roach crowned first track champions of the summer

Heavy rain during the day cleared for the first open State Championships of the summer.

MEN 10,000m

The men’s 10,000m event developed into a thrilling finish over the later stages of the 25-lap race. Just before 5km, a clear four athletes were in the lead train – runner-up in the 2025 race Stefan Music (RBH), UTS Norths’ Ethan McKenzie and Gosford training partners Harrison McClusky and Luke Shaw. They were splitting consistently 73 second laps. At around 7k, McKenzie dropped in a 69 second lap. Shaw would be the first casually and 800m later, around 8km, teenager McClusky would feel the pinch. By now, McKenzie had opened up a clear 15 metres gap on Music – but would he be able to sustain the pace?

Stefan Music reflected on this key part of the race.

“I felt really good mid-race, and then Ethan (McKenzie) broke away, and I didn't have a whole lot left. ‘I thought, okay, there he goes.’ But it's funny, the Gosford coach (former winner of the race Paul Arthur) was sort of cheering me on, and I was like, okay, if he thinks I've got something in the tank, I know that he's a really great runner, so I just kept trying to dig in.”

Over the next mile McKenzie held Music at bay, but two laps out Music had narrowed the gap and took the lead. Music finished it off with a brilliant 63 seconds last lap – indication he may have had more in the tank and a sub-30 minutes run is possible. He finished in 30:11.69 minutes, from Ethan McKenzie with 30:16.59.

18-year-old Harrison McClusky, who had predicted her would run around 30:50, finished in third in 30:26.86, a top-15 time by an Australian junior and faster than greats like Andrew Lloyd at that age. What was impressive was when the pace accelerated, he was able to match it initially. He also finished off with a 63 second last lap. His Gosford training partner, Luke Shaw, was fourth in 31:02.00.

Second last year in the race, it was a decisive win for Stefan Music.

“It's awesome to run out and get a gold. I've won a couple of NSW one-mile titles, but I'm still waiting for the 1500m - I've got a whole bunch of silvers.

Music is coached by his dad Dragan Mušič, and his win follows many from the great distance running club of Randwick Botany, including Olympian Allan Lawrence.

WOMEN 10,000m

The women’s race was just as thrilling for the keen observer. Running with the men the dynamics of the race may have been lost. Early on Sydney University’s Caitlyn Roach opened a few seconds gap on Illawong 15-year-old Sienna Bass. Roach gradually increased the gap to as much as 14 seconds for a few kilometres mid to late into the race. They were lapping in around 96/97 seconds. With 800m to go, Roach slowed with a 99 second lap, while Bass eat into that lead with a 95 second split. Bass continued with a 93 second penultimate lap and at the bell was within three seconds of Roach. In a sprint over the last 400m, Roach lifted to 85 seconds, while Bass’ 89 seconds would be in vain as Caitlin Roach held on for the win in 39:16.34, six seconds ahead of Sienna Bass with 39:22.83. In third was another Illawong teenager Paisley Gabbott with 41:45.08.

Caitlin Roach, a first-year PE teacher at Muirfield High School, was making her debut over the distance on the track.

“It was my first 10km on the track, but it wasn't a PB overall,” said Roach who has run faster on the road.

“Conditions were alright - a bit of rain in the end, but not too bad.”

David Tarbotton for NSW Athletics

Image: Stefan Music (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)