Christchurch runner Cameron Avery is bound for Vienna, in a last ditch attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics marathon event.
No Kiwi males have currently qualified for the Paris Olympics in the marathon, only women's runner Camille French - who now awaits official selection.
"It's going to take a super human effort for sure," said Avery of the task ahead of him.
The 26-year-old respiratory physiologist heads abroad with the backing of his Christchurch Hospital colleagues, as well as family, friends and the local running community.
"The pace isn't a problem," said good friend Oska Baynes. "For him, he's going to have to go into the toolkit of things [skills and race knowledge] he's got and pull it out when it hurts the most which he has the personality and resilience to do so."
To qualify for the 2024 Olympics upcoming, Avery needs to run 42 kilometres in 2:08:10 - four minutes quicker than his personal best - averaging 3:03 minute kilometres.
"It's not the exact course (Eliud) Kipchoge ran his sub two (hours) on but it is the same city and they chose it for that reason.
"Good conditions, flat roads and it should be fast," said Avery.
Should the Cantabrian hit the qualifying time, he'd also break the current New Zealand Marathon record set by Zane Robertson in 2019. The former Olympic runner is currently serving an eight-year doping ban.
"I want to have that (record) not just for myself, but all New Zealanders - cause I feel they deserve that," said Avery.
Avery has always been a keen runner. Clearly gifted through his school years, he'd go on to study and compete in America. Though he's the first to admit his stateside results "weren't anything to write home about".
"But my coach over there was good in the way he understood I wanted to continue afterwards so he didn't burn me out - he made sure I could continue to improve," he said.
And he's come into his own since returning home two years ago - leading the charge in both the half-marathon, and now marathon events.
"(To be in Paris) would be a dream come true," said Avery.
"I don't know if I'll quite believe it if it does happen, but I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground."
Avery competes in Vienna on April 21, with the hope in four months' time he could be Paris bound.
SHARE ME