NSW 3000m Championships: Isaac Shaw and Carley Thomas claim their inaugural titles

1 November 2025

NSW 3000m Championships: Isaac Shaw and Carley Thomas claim their inaugural titles

The 2026 edition of the NSW 3000m championships, held at ES Marks Field, was full of drama.

MEN 3000m NSW Championships – ISAAC SHAW (Bankstown)

A strong field was assembled with various subplots including Joshua Phillips chasing an unprecedented fourth consecutive win and 16-year-old Evan Rowbotham in pursuit of a NSW record.

The first 2km was run at a sloid pace with laps of around 65/66 seconds, but with 800m to go things started to unfold. At the 2200m point there were six athletes in a close pack with just half a second separating them. They were Manly Warringah’s find of the year Cooper Horley; Joshua Phillips (Delta Running Project), who had won the last three titles; ACT’s Jett Allen a 8:23 18-year-old; Bankstown’s Isaac Shaw, runner-up here last year and current NSW 1500m champion; Newcastle’s Joseph Ryan, who was 4th last year; and Randwick Botany’s Evan Rowbotham, who set an Australian U16 record in this race last year.

On the penultimate lap, the pace quickened with a high 63 seconds lap by the six contenders, however with a 62 seconds lap, Mingara’s Matthew Scarr had joined ‘the party’. As they heard the bell, they were lined up across the track with Horley holding a slight led with just 0.52 second separating the seven athletes.

It would be a shootout over the last lap, this is how it unfolded.

Horley continued to led down the back straight, but Rowbotham made a move at 320m to go, and Shaw followed him. Also down the back straight Scarr continued his penultimate lap momentum and moved into third. At 200m Rowbotham, lifted again and passed the leader Horley, while going with him were Scarr and Shaw. After opening a gap on everybody, at the 150m Rowbotham miss-stepped and hit the inside track rail. He fell heavily, with Scarr also falling. At about the same moment Rowbotham fell, Shaw also seemed to lift and was able to avoid the fallen athletes. He had momentum, and flew home in an astonishing last lap split of 56 seconds to take the title by over three seconds in 8:08.57. Cooper Horley, had to jump over the fallen athletes, but had sufficient momentum to finish second in 8:11.63, ahead of Joseph Ryan (8:12.27) who moved on to the podium after placing 4th last year. Evan Rowbotham and Matthew Scarr picked themselves up and jogged to the finish in 8:57 minutes. It appeared Rowbotham was on target for about a 10 seconds PB after running 8:16 last year.

It was nice progression for Isaac Shaw, who was second last year. The Wollongong-based athlete trains under Brendan Hince and alongside Luke Hince.

Shaw reflected on the dramatic last lap.

“(At the bell) I was probably up in about 4th or 5th, and sitting out in about lane 2,” he said. “I was feeling pretty good, biding my time and waiting to make a move. I usually like to kick at 150; leaving it as late as possible and I think I executed that well.”

Pre-race Shaw was clear on his objective.

“Winning was the goal tonight. Ultimately, if a good time comes with that, then that's awesome, but the goal this season is just to win as many races as I can.”

What does he think is his best distance?

“I'd say 3K. I can run a good 15, I've got enough strength to do a good 5 or 10, but I think 3K is my sweet spot.”

Away from the track, Shaw manages the Run Havoc Store, the leading running shop in Wollongong.

WOMEN 3000m NSW Championships – CARLEY THOMAS (UTS Norths)

This was a fairly open race with a number with good credentials; it would just be down to who turned up best on the night.

The solid early pace quickly scattered the field. After laps around 74/75 seconds, at the halfway mark there was a lead group of Carley Thomas (UTS Norths), 15-year-old Amelia Sheridan (South Australia), 2024 champion Georgia Woolley (nee Winkcup) and 13-year-old Kyah Ryals (Manly-Warringah). After the mid-way points Thomas maintained this pace, with initially Woolley and Ryals slipped off the group. On the penultimate lap, Sheridan also lost contact, now three seconds behind Thomas. The other move that happened late was Izzy Thornton-Bott moving from fifth into third by the bell.

Thomas went on to win her first NSW 3000m title in 9:13.71, from Sheridan (9:16.89) and Thornton-Bott (9:20.33). The NSW bronze medal was claimed by Georgia Woolley (9:24.55).

“I'm happy with it,” Thomas said. “I was kind of seeking out a PB tonight. I haven't run a 3K in a couple of years, so it would've been nice to do that.”

After being injured earlier in the year, Thomas has been training well over the last couple of months.

“I've got some good momentum, so I’m just building,” she said.

Thomas has also been managing some significant change.

“I'm in the process of moving to Sydney,” said Thomas who grew up in the Hills area. “I'm still with On, but towards the end of the year moving out of the OAC group that is in Melbourne. It's been amazing being part of that group, and I've really loved it. I think after two years of doing that, and really committing everything to it, there are a few things I feel work for me a bit better, that I can now do and be more independent. It was hard leaving the group and my coach, but I’m excited for the next chapter now.”

The race included an extraordinary number of young teenagers with six under-16 and four setting PBs.

It was an amazing night of 3000m metres racing with 21 divisions including two community races. The men’s went down to ‘M’ division.

Supporting the night was another hard-working NSW Athletics club – Randwick Botany. The volunteers assisted running a canteen and some setup of the event. Historically, they are the most successful club with 16 wins across the men’s and women’s races.

David Tarbotton for NSW Athletics
Image: men 3000m A race – at the bell (image courtesy of David Tarbotton)

RESULTS NSW 3000 M Championships - WOMEN

1 Carley Thomas, UTN 9:13.71

2 Amelia Sheridan, South Australia 9:16.89 – 15 yrs

3 Izzy Thornton-Bott, BAN 9:20.33

4 Georgia Woolley, UTN 9:24.55

5 Kyah Ryals, MW 9:27.22 – 13 yrs, 8 seconds PB

6 Ruby Madden, RCR 9:30.70

7 Gracie Sheridan, South Australia 9:33.18 – 13 yrs, 4 seconds PB

8 Martina Conner, RBH 9:34.80 – 52 seconds PB

9 Mia Toohey, SUT 9:45.49

10 Danette Sheehan, RCR 9:45.86

11 Hayley Whitsed, VIC 9:48.08 – 19 yrs, 1 second PB

12 Pippa Schwarz, BAN 9:50.20 – 17 yrs, 13 seconds PB

13 Claire Solomon, ACT 9:50.47

14 Matilda Emanuel, RCR 9:52.75 – 18 yrs, 32 seconds PB

15 Beatrice Garnys, UTN 9:55.13 – 14 yrs, 6 seconds PB

16 Elsie Hamilton, ACT 9:58.84 – 14 yrs, PB

17 Bethany Halmy, UTN 10:01.99 - PB

18 Alexis Tague, MW 10:04.14 – 15 yrs

RESULTS NSW 3000 M Championships - MEN

1 Isaac Shaw, BAN 8:08.57

2 Cooper Horley, MW 8:11.63 – 16 seconds PB

3 Joseph Ryan, NEW, 8:12.27

4 Jett Allen, ACT 8:13.06 – 18 yrs, 1 second PB

5 Joshua Phillips, DRP 8:14.71

6 Isaac Brooks, SYU 8:15.78 – 19 yrs, 4 seconds PB

7 Tom March, RCR 8:16.53

8 Harry Boyn, NEW 8:17.07 – 19 yrs, 1 second PB

9 Marcus Keyes, RCR 8:17.21 – 17 yrs, 27 seconds PB

10 Liam Hinchcliffe, BAN 8:17.59 – 5 seconds PB

11 Stefan Music, RBH 8:17.79

12 Ben Bishop, SYU 8:19.19

13 Alex Talbot, SYU 8:23.43 – 2 seconds PB

14 Luke Shaw, GOS 8:25.36

15 Matthew Shaw, GOS 8:25.67 – 18 yrs, 9 seconds PB

16 Harrison McClusky, GOS 8:30.31 – 18 yrs

17 Joel Harlor, BAN 8:33.67 – 18 yrs

18 Connor Whiteley, SYU 8:40.83

19 Matthew Scarr, MIN 8:56.38

20 Evan Rowbotham, RBH 8:57.82 – 16 yrs

SPLITS

A reminder the NSW Athletics photo finish team capture lap splits for every athlete competing. They are available in Athletics Livehttps://liveresults.nswathletics.org.au/meets/80101