Two More Top Women Confirmed for Queen Street Golden Mile

Two More Top Women Confirmed for Queen Street Golden Mile

Thursday 14 February 2013: The elite women’s field for Auckland’s Queen Street Golden Mile on Easter Monday has received a big boost with the addition of two international athletes to take on local favourite Lucy van Dalen.

Zoe Buckman (Australia) and Susan Kuijken (Netherlands) have confirmed their start in the glamour street mile on April 1. Both athletes recently spent time in New Zealand and have joined Lucy in Melbourne to continue their training.

Buckman represented Australia at the 2012 Olympics in London where, like van Dalen, she reached the semi-finals of the 1500m. Unfortunately Kuijken (26) missed the Olympics through injury, but is now fully recovered and looking forward to a big European summer. She is a former NCAA triple medallist and was the NCAA 2009 1500m champion.

At the Christchurch track meet earlier this month she trailed van Dalen for much of the 3000m before out-kicking the Kiwi in the sprint home. Buckman competed in the 800m. All three are very evenly matched over 1500m - with less than half a second separating their best times.

Over the mile, however, only Kuijken has previous street race experience finishing 5th in the 2011 Fifth Avenue New York mile, while van Dalen and Buckman have yet to taste the thrill of a street mile. Buckman has the best time for the mile on a track - 4m 30.8s, one second faster that van Dalen.

Van Dalen intends to return home and contest the NZ Athletics Championships at Auckland in late March - seeking a 1500m qualifying time for the World Athletics Championships at Moscow in August - and then stay on in Auckland for the race down Queen Street on April 1.

Last held in 1983, the return of the Queen Street Golden Mile is a John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation (FYFOD) initiative. The aim is to provide athletes young and old the chance to run in the footsteps of champions and, at the same time, generate some revenue to support the work of the Foundation. More details are at www.queenstreetmile.co.nz

FYFOD Chief Executive Craig Pollock is delighted with the strength of the elite women’s mile, which will be augmented by outstanding local senior and junior athletes. “We also expect to have some international athletes to announce for the elite men’s mile within a few weeks,” he says. “We are confident both the elite miles will feature quality international and New Zealand runners and produce very quick times.”

“Unlike previous Queen Street miles which had a heavy focus on elite athletes, this year we will have more than 16 races over a four-hour period on Easter Monday to give as many New Zealanders as possible the chance to run in the footsteps of champions.”

Races planned for the day include under 16, under 19, over 20 and veteran men’s and women’s miles, plus a citizen’s mile for non-registered athletes, a corporate team’s event, the Clash of Codes and the race for wheelchair competitors.

The Queen Street Mile has the support of Mayor Len Brown as well as Auckland Council, Athletics Auckland and the NZ Olympic Committee.

All the races will start at the Queen St/Mayoral Drive intersection with athletes racing to the bottom of Queen Street, across Customs and Quay Streets, finishing on Queen’s Wharf.
More details about the Queen Street Golden Mile are at www.queenstreetmile.co.nz

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