Cult hero Seth O'Donnell has claimed a rare 5000m and 10,000m national title double after flying to victory in the Zatopek:10 in Melbourne.
The 24-year-old emphatically ended the dominance of middle-distance stars Jack Rayner and Stewart McSweyn, who had shared seven of the previous eight Australian titles.
O'Donnell's bold decision to go out hard paid off at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday night, winning in a quick time of 27:59.68.
McSweyn tried to go with O'Donnell, but with seven laps to go, the Tasmanian dramatically veered off the track in pain.
He bravely tried to continuing running after, but McSweyn's bid for a fourth Zatopek:10 title was over.
It was an all-Victorian podium, with Ed Marks coming in second and Rayner finishing third.
Rayner was trying to equal the legendary Ron Clarke as the only other man to have won five Australian 10,000m crowns.
O'Donnell, who sports a flowing mullet and is a drummer in a rock band, represented Australia at this year's World Championships after winning the 5000m national final in April.
Only last month, O'Donnell locked in his spot for next year's world cross-country championships when he finished second in the national selection trials in the ACT.
Earlier, Olympian Lauren Ryan claimed her second national title for the 10,000m, burning off her rivals with a stunning final lap.
Ryan, who won the Zatopek:10 in 2023 but was pipped last year, paced herself behind Leanne Pompeani for most of the race, with Georgie Grgec also in the lead pack.
But the 27-year-old was unstoppable once she decided to sprint, immediately flying past Pompeani with about 300m to go to win in a time of 32:06:08.
Ryan is coming off finishing ninth at this year's World Athletics Championships, backing up her 13th at the Paris Olympics last year.
But she did lose her Australian record in June when Rose Davies beat the mark she set in March 2024.
