Kurrawa surf queen Hayley Bateup is feeling strong and confident about her quest for a fourth Coolangatta Gold title with this year’s 30.5km race coming up on October 18. The quest for a fourth Coolangatta Gold title appears on track for Kurrawa surf queen Hayley Bateup.
With the race fast approaching, Bateup is feeling strong, focused and hungry. And she has already signalled her intentions, with a torturous training regime under head coach Phil Clayton reaping rewards for Bateup, who recently completed the 30.5km course on a training run in a time just minutes outside her winning efforts last year.
“I have been feeling good and I have been out testing myself over the Gold distance or further every weekend,” said Bateup.
“I have only been out on the actual course once and I completed that pretty comfortably, only a few minutes outside my winning time of last year.
“If the conditions are right come race day I’ll be aiming for a fairly quick time. I’m feeling good at the moment and I hope that can stay with me.”
With the October 18 race only 52 days away, the event promises to be as big as ever with about 400 entrants expected to hit the start line for the men’s, women’s, junior and teams divisions.
Among the expected starters will be last year’s men’s champion Caine Eckstein, Nathan Smith, the Sunshine Coast’s Tim Peach, top female competitors Bateup, Courtney Hancock and Alyce Bennett.
Bateup has put a tough month behind her, as her training took a hit as she battled a debilitating flu.
But now she is back to full health she is confident of peaking at the right time and push not only for a victory in the Gold, but also in the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series where she will chase her first ironwoman title.
“I’ve never actually won a series before, I’ve won a few races here and there so that is another focus this season,” she said. “It would be good to start well with a strong effort in the Gold.”
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