2025 UniSport Nationals Distance Running Champions Crowned

Posted 18th July 2025

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The 2025 UniSport Nationals Distance Running Championship concluded over the weekend with blue skies, fast times, and unforgettable moments at the ASICS Gold Coast Marathon held on 5 – 6 July. Students from universities across the country descended on Queensland’s world class coastline to represent their institutions in the marathon, half marathon, and 10km races.

From the crack of the starter’s gun to the final cheers at the finish line, there were over 200 student-athletes from 30 universities participating in this year’s event, demonstrating the strength and reach of university sport across Australia.

Headline Performances

In the men’s marathon, Archer Ramsay from The Australian National University (ANU) claimed gold with a time of 2:30:01. His victory put ANU on the map, but it was The University of Sydney (USYD) that ultimately topped the overall men’s standings with a powerful team effort across all events to hold top ladder position ahead of The University of Queensland (UQ) and University of South Australia (UniSA) in second and third place respectively.

The women’s marathon crown went to Oliviah Bodycott of Charles Sturt University (CSU), who charged home in 3:03:03, a gutsy run that earned her both individual gold and crucial points for CSU, who finished 4th overall in the women’s team standings. However, it was UQ who emerged as the Women’s Champion University, thanks to consistent scoring across all race categories. UQ was closely followed by The University of Tasmania (UTAS), while Griffith University (GU) claimed third in a tightly contested field.

In the half marathon, UniSA’s Tiana Cetta dominated the women’s field, clocking a blazing time of 1:13:22. On the men’s side, James Nipperess of Australian Catholic University (ACU) crossed the line first in 1:04:06, leading a hotly contested race from start to finish.

The 10km races brought explosive speed to the Gold Coast streets. University of Canberra (UC) Shaun Harris blazed through the men’s field in 30:11, while the women’s race was won convincingly by Ruby Smee from the UTAS, with a brilliant 33:04 finish.

Inclusion on the Move: Multi Class Debuts

A key moment in the history of UniSport Nationals Distance Running was the introduction of the multi class category in the 10km event. Tamsin Colley, representing UNSW Sydney, made history as the inaugural winner with a time of 54:32. A passionate advocate for inclusion in sport, Tamsin was instrumental in championing the creation of this category. Her victory wasn’t just a triumph on the course, it was a milestone for representation, inspiring peers and paving the way for future athletes of all abilities to participate at the highest level of university sport.

For full results from the 2025 Nationals Distance Running Championships, visit www.unisport.com.au/nationals-distance-running

Men’s Marathon
1	Archer	Ramsay	The Australian National University	02:30:01
2	Nicholas	Reimer	Bond University	02:42:56
3	Ryan	Blackwell	The University of Queensland	02:42:59
Women’s Marathon
1	Oliviah	Bodycott	Charles Sturt University	03:03:03
2	Nicola	Pearce	University of Canberra	03:05:33
3	Jenifer	Phillips	The University of Queensland	03:19:37
Men’s Half Marathon
1	James	Nipperess	Australian Catholic University	01:04:06
2	Marco	Els	Flinders University	01:08:46
3	Bevan	Does	Deakin University	01:09:32
Women’s Half Marathon
1	Tiana	Cetta	University of Technology Sydney	01:13:22
2	Lilly	Ellis	The Australian National University	01:18:23
3	Olivia	Thiesfield	Griffith University	01:24:57
Men’s 10km
1	Shaun	Harris	University of Canberra	00:30:11
2	Hudson	Miles	University of South Australia	00:30:40
3	Ben	Bishop	The University of Sydney	00:31:04
Women’s 10km
1	Ruby	Smee	University of Tasmania	00:33:04
2	Imogen	Baker	Monash University	00:36:00
3	Abigail	Gilbert	The University of Sydney	00:37:12
Women’s 10km – Women’s 10km
1	Tamsin	Colley	UNSW Sydney	00:54:32