Elite running squad

Sean is a middle and long distance running coach for the premier distance running club in Australia, Randwick-Botany Harriers.

Athletes in this elite squad are not only Randwick Botany members. Several runners are members of other clubs.

The runners range from 13 year olds to internationals who have represented Australia.

Current stars

Who is shining in the running world?

Lara Tamsett has become the first WORLD CHAMPION from the squad, winning the 2007 World Junior Mountain Running Championships in Switzerland. Tamsett has gone on to become one of the top senior runners in Australia, having won major road races such as the Noosa Bolt (2007 and 2008) and the Burnie Ten. She was recently crowned Australian 10000m champion in winning Zatopek in 32.55.

Becky Lowe went to the same school as Lara Tamsett, Kincoppal-Rose Bay, being in the same year group. She had been a member of the squad for 4 years and has since moved to the Uni of Florida on scholarship. Becky still trains with the squad for 3 months of the year on uni break. She won the 2008 City to Surf on her last break.

The squad includes Australian senior international reps Timmy Rowe, Ben St Lawrence and Lucy Chapman.

Juniors Hollie Emery and Harry Summers are improving rapidly and are fast becoming a major threat to the top senior runners in Australia.

Steve Thurston is in the midst of a big comeback and is set to turn many heads in 2009.

Depth galore

Plenty of quality training partners

6th place finisher in the final of the 3km steeplechase at the 2008 Olympics, Youcef Abdi, trains regularly with the squad. Star national level runners such as Tom Crasti, Michael Harrison, Adam Laughlan-Bowlby, Greta Truscot and Chris Truscott have thrived in the squad environment. It has also included Australian marathon champions and national representatives Damon Harris, Jeremy Horne and Paul Arthur, plus star female national reps Belinda Wilsher and Liz Miller.

Star internationals who have trained with the squad include Commwealth Games marathon medalist form England Liz Yelling, City to Surf Champions from Finland Yussi Utrainen and from Melbourne Anna Thompson, Dutch 1500m champion Marije Muller, Olympic marathoner Lee Troop and Commonwealth Games marathon rep Kate Smyth.

Top interstate athletes who have trained with the squad include WA trio Courtney Carter (3000m), Chris De Boer (800m and 1500m) and JP Taylor (800m).

Juniors on the rise

Quality production line

The Squad also includes some of Australia's brightest young running stars such as Australian World Youth representative Selma Kajan, Olympic Youth representatives Claire Doyle and Todd Wakefield, 2009 World Youth qualifier Josh Johnson and World Schools Cross Country rep Kristy Colman.

Several other national junior champions and placegetters such as Amy Neville, Zach Rea, Morgan McDonald, Rachel Howard, Tom Hurley, plus Australia's number one masters runner Keith Bateman are in the squad.

A strong team behind the squad

A wise support network

The best sports medicine staff in Sydney work closely with the squad, with doctors incuding Dr Georges Hazan and Dr Irwin Light. Physios working with the squad include Blair Martin and Brent Kirkbride, whilst massage therapists include Gary Howard, Charlie Zammit and Greta Truscott. Sydney's best runing podiatrists Russell Stokes and Caleb Wegner work with several of Sean's athletes.

Sports science now plays such a big role in distance running. Sean works with exercise physiologist and biomechanist Jason McLaren and has started looking at genetics/DNA testing with sports scientist and marathon legend Rob De Castella.

Sean works closely with national distance coaches Tim O'Shaunessy and Nicki Frey. He was the Australian team coach for the 2008 Ekiden Road Relay Team in Japan.
Sean likes to mix it with other coaches/squads and has teamed up with coaches such as the renowned former AIS coach Dr Dick Telford, former AIS coach Phil Moore, Australian 1km record holder and now coach Grant Cremer, top Queensland Coach Roy Rankin and James Fitzgerald. His athletes then get to experience a variety of training techniques and train with a wide range of athletes from far and wide.

Star vets

Young at heart

Sean believes that the most enjoyable aspect of coaching his squad has been that it consists of runners from a wide range of age-groups at a high-performance level.

For example, Keith Bateman, aged 53, has smashed his PBs in every distance from 800m to the half marathon and has broken the 50+ Australian record at 3,000m four times.

If you would like more information about the squad please contact me here

Hard work (Sweat) is the only path to success

Look at this!

These champions are attacking this hill hard. All champions!

Squad entry requirements

A basic standard is required for a runner to join Sean's main squad.

You must be able to beat one of the times in your age groups as listed below.

If you or your child are not yet able to run these times, Sean can assist you to achieve them with separate group in the Morning Squad, Kids Running Groups, on training camps or with personal training.

Men and women

Juniors

If you would like more information about the squad please contact me here