HOKA Northern Arizona Elite athlete Matt Baxter will line up in today’s 2023 Gold Coast Marathon in Queensland, Australia, and he will be hoping for a fast time to measure his training development thus this season.
READ MORE: How to watch the 2023 Gold Coast Marathon? Elite Fields
After watching fellow HOKA Northern Arizona Elite athlete training partner Lauren Hagans impressively won at the Grandma’s Marathon on her marathon debut last month, Baxter will use that as an extra inspiration to lay down a mark that would be equally as impressive.
The New Zealand runner will compete in only his second marathon or his career after he made his debut with a 12th-place finish with a time of 2:17:15 last November at the TCS New York City Marathon.
Baxter will race against a very strong field at the 2023 Gold Coast Marathon on 2 July (Australia time zone) and he’s looking forward to the challenge.
“I chose the Gold Coast Marathon because it is a fast course and an Oceania Championship,” Baxter said in May. “I am looking forward to racing against some of the best Oceania and international athletes in a beautiful part of Australia.”
He will certainly have his hands full against a field that features four runners with personal bests faster than 2:08.
Heading the list of title contenders in the men’s elite race is Eritrean Mogos Shumay, who has the fastest personal best of the field, 2:07:10. He will be making his Gold Coast Marathon debut.
The defending champion Jo Fuduka and his Japanese teammate and the 2013 Gold Coast Marathon winner Yuki Kawauchi are also hoping to reach the top podium today.
