Michael Shelley (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Michael Shelley is an Australia
n long-distance runner who competes in track events
and road races
. He won a silver medal
in the marathon
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
. He has also represented Australia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
. On the road, he has won at the Gold Coast Half Marathon and the City2Surf race in Sydney.
. He had set a career best of 9:08.28 for the 3000 metres steeplechase earlier that year but did not manage to progress beyond the heats at the competition. He soon changed his focus to the 1500 metres
instead and set a personal best of 3:39.90 before going on to take third at the 2003 Australian Athletics Championships. He also ran in the short race at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
.
He emerged in the senior ranks in 2007, finishing in 65th place at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
and running a 3000 metres
best time of 7:59.59. He began moving into longer distance events in 2008 and, after placing 50th over 12 km at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, he won the half marathon
event at the Gold Coast Marathon
in July, recording a time of 1:02:41. He earned selection for the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
and he was the region's best performer with a sixteenth place finish. At the end of the year he competed in the 10,000 metres at the Zatopek Classic in Melbourne
and finished in third place with a time of 28:08.96.
He broke new ground with personal bests of 13:38.30 for the 5000 metres
and 27:59.77 for the 10,000 metres at the start of 2009. His third appearance at the World Cross Country Championships resulted in his best performance to date, coming in 36th place in the senior race. He returned to the Gold Coast half marathon to defend his title but he was pipped at the line by Tanzania
n Dickson Marwa, leaving Shelley with a personal best of 1:02:10 and the runner-up spot just one second behind. In September he won the City2Surf in Sydney
with a time of 41:02. However, the 2009 season also brought along some setbacks for Shelley's career. He suffered a stress fracture
in his leg and he also lost his funding from the Australian Institute of Sport
.
Making his debut in the event, Shelley entered the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon
in April and finished in twelfth place with a time of 2:13:05. He represented Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
and was chosen for the marathon. Running in only his second outing over the distance, the relatively slow pace worked in his favour as he overhauled Amos Tirop Matui
in the final stages to take the silver medal
behind John Kelai
.
He was invited to run at the 2011 London Marathon
and he reached the top ten, setting a personal best of 2:11:38 hours. His second marathon race of the year came at the Amsterdam Marathon
in October. Although he finished eleventh overall, he set a personal best time of 2:11:23 hours.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n long-distance runner who competes in track events
Long-distance track event
Long-distance track event races require runners to balance their energy. These types of races are predominantly aerobic in nature and at the highest level, exceptional levels of aerobic endurance is required more than anything else...
and road races
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
. He won a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
in the marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
. He has also represented Australia at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
and the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The IAAF World Half Marathon Championships is an annual half marathon competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was contested from 1992 to 2005, and replaced by the IAAF World Road Running Championships, a 20 kilometres race which had its inaugural...
. On the road, he has won at the Gold Coast Half Marathon and the City2Surf race in Sydney.
Career
Born in Southport, Australia, he made his first international appearance at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2002 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2002 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Kingston, Jamaica from July 16 to July 21, 2002.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:...
. He had set a career best of 9:08.28 for the 3000 metres steeplechase earlier that year but did not manage to progress beyond the heats at the competition. He soon changed his focus to the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
instead and set a personal best of 3:39.90 before going on to take third at the 2003 Australian Athletics Championships. He also ran in the short race at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 19-20 March 2004 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
.
He emerged in the senior ranks in 2007, finishing in 65th place at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in Mombasa, Kenya on 24 March, 2007. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
and running a 3000 metres
3000 metres
The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...
best time of 7:59.59. He began moving into longer distance events in 2008 and, after placing 50th over 12 km at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
The 36th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held in the Holyrood Park at Edinburgh, Scotland on 30 March 2008. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races encompassed both individual and team competition...
, he won the half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
event at the Gold Coast Marathon
Gold Coast Marathon
The Gold Coast Marathon is an annual marathon race in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, which was first run in 1979....
in July, recording a time of 1:02:41. He earned selection for the 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
The 2008 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 12 October 2008.This event was first announced as the 2008 IAAF World Road Running Championships, but in November 2007, the IAAF announced that the name of the IAAF World Road Running Championships would revert...
and he was the region's best performer with a sixteenth place finish. At the end of the year he competed in the 10,000 metres at the Zatopek Classic in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and finished in third place with a time of 28:08.96.
He broke new ground with personal bests of 13:38.30 for the 5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
and 27:59.77 for the 10,000 metres at the start of 2009. His third appearance at the World Cross Country Championships resulted in his best performance to date, coming in 36th place in the senior race. He returned to the Gold Coast half marathon to defend his title but he was pipped at the line by Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
n Dickson Marwa, leaving Shelley with a personal best of 1:02:10 and the runner-up spot just one second behind. In September he won the City2Surf in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
with a time of 41:02. However, the 2009 season also brought along some setbacks for Shelley's career. He suffered a stress fracture
Stress fracture
A stress fracture is one type of incomplete fracture in bones. It is caused by "unusual or repeated stress" and also heavy continuous weight on the ankle or leg...
in his leg and he also lost his funding from the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
.
Making his debut in the event, Shelley entered the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon
Rotterdam Marathon
The Rotterdam Marathon is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April of every year since the third edition in 1984, and attracts many top athletes. It has also been ranked as one of the top 10 marathons in the world by Runner's World...
in April and finished in twelfth place with a time of 2:13:05. He represented Australia at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Athletics at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
The athletics competition at the 2010 Commonwealth Games was held in New Delhi, India between 6 and 14 October. The track and field events took place between 6–12 October at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium while the marathon contests were held on a street course running through the city on 14...
and was chosen for the marathon. Running in only his second outing over the distance, the relatively slow pace worked in his favour as he overhauled Amos Tirop Matui
Amos Tirop Matui
Amos Tirop Matui is a Kenyan professional long-distance and marathon runner. He has won marathons on four continents with career highlights including consecutive wins and course records at the Singapore Marathon, a win at the Country Music Marathon in 2009, and a bronze medal for Kenya over the...
in the final stages to take the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
behind John Kelai
John Kelai
John Ekiru Kelai is a male long-distance runner from Kenya, who specialises in the marathon. He set his personal best in the men's marathon race in the 2005 edition of the Eindhoven Marathon, where he finished fourth...
.
He was invited to run at the 2011 London Marathon
2011 London Marathon
The 2011 London Marathon took place on Sunday, 17 April 2011. The men's elite race saw Emmanuel Mutai win in a course record time to become the fourth fastest ever over the distance. Runner-up Martin Lel sprinted to the line to beat Patrick Makau, completing a Kenyan sweep of the podium...
and he reached the top ten, setting a personal best of 2:11:38 hours. His second marathon race of the year came at the Amsterdam Marathon
Amsterdam Marathon
The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...
in October. Although he finished eleventh overall, he set a personal best time of 2:11:23 hours.