Worlds: Tali Lane Welsh and Joel Green record impressive marathon performances

Australia’s marathon riders Tali Lane Welsh and Joel Green produced impressive performances at the 2023 UCI World Championships in Scotland overnight.

The duo were competing in their very first marathon world championships against the best long distance off-road riders.

The 100km course saw riders pitted against a route that took in road, forest fire roads and single-track, thigh-burning off-road climbs and long, flowing descents where staying focused, was essential.

The single-lap course went through the Traquair, Yair, Elibank and Caberston Forests, before the feature-packed final 20km in the Glentress Forest.

With 3200m elevation – more than double that at the 2022 UCI Marathon World Championships at Haderslev, Denmark -, legs and lungs were tested, and the technical forest course required precise handling.

The Australian boys had been putting plenty of hours in the saddle ahead of the event and despite having started at the back of the field they would push through to beat their plate number.

Lane Welsh would finish in 47th place just over half an hour behind winner Brazil’s Henrique Avancini, with Green another 12 places behind.

"It was a super hard race out there today, with a very techy course and wet conditions. I had a less than ideal starting position so knew I would have to pass as many people as I could on the first climb before it got too narrow and spread out," Lane Welsh said

Results: Elite Men Marathon

1. Henrique Avancini 4:14.42
2. Martin Stosek +:028
3. Lukas Baum +1:43
47. Tali Lane Welsh +31:48
59. Joel Green +43:31

For more coverage of the ARA Australian Cycling Team at the UCI Cycling World Championships, visit our Glasgow 2023 Hub.

Photo Credit: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com