While we’re only a few hours away from the kickoff of the second Major in Melbourne, we also have the Doubles race to look forward to on Saturday evening in Australia. With this being only the second-ever Doubles Major, we’ll see a lot of new teams in the field.
To help make sense of it all, teams fall into three groups:
Super Teams
Both athletes raced the night before in Individuals.
Who Leads?
One partner will be racing fresh, the other dealing with fatigue from their Individual effort. Always interesting.
Fresh Legs
Both athletes’ sole focus is the Doubles race.
Also worth noting: all three qualified women’s teams are racing, which means the roll down could reach 6th place. On the men’s side, two qualified teams are racing—so the roll down can go to 5th.
Women’s Lineup
Super Teams
- Joanna Wietrzyk & Jess Pettrow (Q)
- Manuela García Caparrós & Seka Arning
- Lucy Procter & Sinéad Bent
Lucy and Sinéad return after penalties cost them the World Championship title in Chicago. Manuela and Seka look ready for a breakout as one of only five teams ever under 55 minutes.
Who Leads?
- Lauren Griffith & Lauren Weeks (Q)
- Zara Piergianni & Gabriella Moriarty (Q)
- Kat Parnell & Jade Skillen
- Holly Archer & Sophia Parvizi Wayne
- Melanie Maurer & Jennifer Nikolaus
- Simone Feld & Tanja Stroschneider
- Gabrielle Nikora‑Baker & Nicola‑Georgia Macbeth
Holly Archer may be the fastest pure runner we’ve ever seen in HYROX (1500m PR: 4:07.20). Maurer and Nikolaus will be hungry after getting pulled off the course in Hamburg. Lauren² is the lone team representing the Americas.
Fresh Legs
- Mollie Emond & Meg Martin
- Danél Louw & Vicky Macintosh
- Margot Vandenlindenloof & Charlotte Vandenlindenloof
- Rachel O’Connor & Maire McGinley
- Alysha Martin & Elinor Thomas
Emond and Martin debut at home after running the third-fastest Pro Doubles time ever at Worlds (54:37). Louw and Macintosh barely missed the Individual race and will be in the mix. The Vandenlindenloof sisters missed qualifying in Hamburg by two seconds—motivation unlocked.
Men’s Lineup
Super Teams
- James Kelly & Jake Dearden (Q)
- Graham Halliday & Jonathon Wynn
Both teams feature an Australian athlete and both arrive with tired legs—but can the home crowd give them a boost?
Who Leads?
- Jake Williamson & Alen Ploj (Q)
- Charlie Botterill & Ollie Russell
- Beau Wills & Eugenio Bianchi
- Oli Fricker & Sean Noble
- Michael Bartsch & Tim Wenisch
Bartsch and Wenisch aren’t chasing qualification since Wenisch already qualified with Roncevic. Botterill and Russell were strong in Hamburg but derailed by penalties. Wills and Bianchi return after missing the World Champs podium by six seconds.
Fresh Legs
- Marko Nicic & Alexis Bernier
- Jeremy McConnell & Fabian Eisenlauer
- Ben Sutherland & Harry Sutherland
- Ciaran Parkinson & Tony Revell
- Connor Higgins & Luke Ennis
- Jarrett Newby & Hayden Warner
- Pieter Maes & Tom Franssens
- Pablo Valverde Reyes & Pablo Sanchez Santos
A wide‑open group with major upside. Nicic and Bernier enter with the fastest seed time. McConnell and Eisenlauer appear poised for a breakout. The Belgian duo scraped into the field but finished 5th in Chicago—clearly capable. And never overlook the Sutherland brothers, just behind them in 6th at Worlds.
This Week on Race Brain
The Draft Episode
The always‑chaotic, always‑insightful draft episode is live. Catch Matt’s manic energy and a full breakdown of the Individual field:
Also Worth a Watch
Since Dylan Scott elected not to travel to Australia, we get his takes on The Hybrid Coaching Podcast - training insights, thoughts on Melbourne, and more:
That's all for this week. Enjoy the Major… and keep an eye out for a full breakdown early next week!
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