2023 Age Group World Championship Profiles: Wayne Spies

Name: Wayne Spies

Nationality: Australia

Category: M50-54

Fastest Major: 2:28:59 (London 2019)

Total AbbottWMM Stars: 6

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Wayne Spies is famed for his serial participation in South Africa’s iconic Comrades Marathon.

The 50-year-old completed his 11th in 2023 before turning his attention back to the 26.2-mile distance – a distance he is still getting faster over – to prepare for Chicago. He says he has unfinished business with the marathon, and it has been showing in his steady progression from a debut of 3:27 in 2011 to a new PB of 2:25:47 in last year’s Gold Coast Marathon, not far off Tom van Ongeval’s winning mark in London last year.

He is in the same age group as the defending champion in Chicago. “I seem to come back strong after an ultra block of training, and I’ve been enjoying a progressive improvement each year. Hopefully I can eclipse that time in Chicago,” he says.

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