Navigating a wet and muddy 10km at Bundoora, it’s hard to imagine Andy Buchanan had racing in the upcoming Olympic marathon on his mind. In fact, keeping his feet as he navigated the classic cross-country conditions while earning points for the Bendigo region (nicknamed the ‘Bats’) was his most pressing concern.
Three days later, Bundoora was forgotten as Andy packed his bags for France – an Olympian at the eleventh hour. Friend, and two-time Olympian, Brett Robinson had been battling injury, and in an extraordinary display of chivalry, had made the call to hand over his marathon place.
‘I was pretty confident that Brett would start (in the marathon). Due to the conditions, Bundoora was a tough race and it banged up my body more than a normal XC race. I’m unsure if I would have raced if I knew…’ Andy explains. ‘It’s bittersweet that Brett had to pull out. I’m good mates with Brett and I know how much the Olympics meant to him.’
Andy had heard ‘whispers’ that Brett was ‘struggling with injury’ – but kept any thoughts of competing in his first Olympics out of his mind. ‘Brett ran the time, that is his spot. He deserves it more than me, and he has the right to take as long as he needs,’ Andy told For The Kudos podcast.
While the Victorian athletics community feels both disappointment for Brett’s misfortune and excitement for Andy’s first Olympic appearance in equal measure, the Olympic juggernaut rolls on. Having had a little longer than most to digest the news, Andy’s sights are firmly set on the marathon distance. He first floated the idea of the making the 2024 event in 2020, after meeting with a dietitian with a view to improve his running, although he couldn’t have predicted the outcome. ‘At the time I thought it was just a dream and didn’t think it would happen,’ Andy said.
Hugely respected in the Bendigo region as an ambassador for the sport of running, his training partners are proud to see the unofficial ‘Mayor of Bendigo’ receiving his due recognition. There’s a tone of positivity from every athlete lucky enough to have encountered Andy; they describe him as someone who manages to provide a compelling example without putting pressure on others to perform. As one ‘Bat’ puts it: ‘without Andy, the running in Bendigo would not be the same.’
Though the name of the Bendigo Bats is synonymous with XCR, for Andy it’s a vehicle for inclusion. A nod to the fruit bats who take residence in Bendigo’s Rosalind Park, how the moniker came about is less clear. ‘I’m pretty sure Brady (Threlfall, fellow Bat, XCR enthusiast and co-host of Inside Running podcast) came up with the name and it took off. The group is very informal. There are no rules, no club uniform, and no memberships. Some Bats compete with us at XCR, some just train with us on a Tuesday or Sunday. The purpose of the group is to bring people together… running can be an individual sport; we are making it a team sport in Bendigo,’ Andy explains.
At the moment, Andy is acclimatising to the heat in France – the Bats and the XCR season must seem a long way away. ‘It was 36 degrees the day I arrived in Montpellier – quite the contrast to Bundoora,’ Andy laughs. ‘I have been getting a great lot of messages from back home. My inclusion on the team was announced after I left Bendigo, so I don’t think I fully understand how much support I have back home.’
Andy cites support from his family, coach Scott Westcott, training partners and the staff at Verve Running (identifying a space in the market for a specialty running store in the Bendigo region, Andy, with two others, opened the store in April) as a key element in Andy’s running success. The support has not ended with Andy’s departure; Athletics Bendigo has a watch party planned at the La Birpa Bendigo Athletics Complex, with over 100 RSVPs at the time of writing. With media in attendance and a real buzz in the local athletics community, it’s a real chance to cheer Bendigo’s second ever Olympian come Saturday afternoon, as Andy realises a childhood dream.
‘I’m feeling good, I know that this is a great opportunity and I really just want to make the most of it, Andy enthuses. ‘Hearing of people talk about their experience in Tokyo three years ago, I feel very lucky to have this experience in Paris.’
As to the Bats, and XCR season 24?
‘I’ll definitely be back for XCR and the Bats.’
Tune in to watch Andy in the Marathon at the Paris Olympics on Saturday the 10th of August at 4pm (AEST), live on Channel 9 or Stan Sport.