From Antalya to Lima for rising race walk star Beacroft

Despite thinking he was “done for” in the closing stages of the U20 men’s 10km at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Antalya 24, Isaac Beacroft refused to give up.

Persevering to get gold on his international debut, the 16-year-old launched himself into the global spotlight in Turkiye. Now, with 100 days to go to the World Athletics U20 Championships Lima 24, Beacroft has another major contest on his radar.

The team event in Antalya was Beacroft’s first ever competition outside of Australia and only his second ever race on the road. But judging it to perfection, in a thrilling finish he reeled in race leader Shi Shengji of China to claim the crown in an Oceanian U20 record of 39:56.

Known for his record-breaking exploits in Australia, Beacroft made further history by becoming the youngest ever winner of an U20 title at the event.

“I'm just amazed, I can't believe it. I'm so happy with what I just did,” he said. “I thought I was done for when the Chinese athlete put about 50 metres or so on me and then I clawed it back. Someone got put in the penalty box and I just thought, ‘okay, that’s my opening here’. I took on the race and timed it right.”

He will hope to do the same when he returns to the track for the World U20 Championships in Peru, where he will contest the 10,000m race walk on 30 August.

“I’ve qualified for the World U20 Championships so hopefully I can get there and give that a good shake as well,” added Beacroft, who will turn 17 on 18 July. “For now, I’ll live in the present, celebrate this, get back home to Australia and get among it with my mates, see my family and keep doing what I do, I guess.”

AFL’s loss is athletics’ gain

What he has been doing has been working very well, so far. Beacroft began race walking as an under-nine, through a Little Athletics programme. His father, David, and some of his family had been race walkers as younger athletes and Beacroft junior found his own passion for the sport. Now David is his coach.

“I found race walking great, so stuck at it, kept going and now I’ve ended up here, which is just unreal,” said the teenager.

Despite having broken numerous age group records, for a long time athletics was not his sole focus. Beacroft also played Australian rules football, training with the GWS Giants Academy.

Now concentrating on race walking, most of his training is done in Blacktown in New South Wales, where he is based. He also goes on training camps, one of those being at altitude in the Perisher Valley in January, when he spent time in the company of some of the nation’s senior stars.

Maintaining Australia’s legacy in the race walks is important to Beacroft and that made his experience in Antalya even more special.

“We got bronze in the team (men’s 10km team event in Antalya, alongside Riley Coughlan) and the last time we did that was Declan Tingay and Kyle Swan (in 2018), who we’ve got a lot to do with,” he said. “We’re all on the team now and everyone gets along. That’s another point of success for me – the team environment in Australia. We’re all tightly knit and it’s so good to follow in their footsteps and take it on – take on the world.”

All steps lead to Lima

Beacroft’s title win in Antalya has understandably provided great motivation, especially as he looks to take on the world again in August. He is also determined to do his family and support network proud.

“It’s big motivation. The gold medal, I’ve got plenty of people to thank for that,” he said. “I just really want to emphasise my support crew. I don’t say it much, but I appreciate dad and mum and everyone in my group, my friends, my girlfriend – everyone. I couldn’t do it without them.”

One of the team managers in Antalya was a certain Jared Tallent, the four-time Olympic and three-time world race walk medallist who also claimed six World Race Walking Cup medals and two Commonwealth Games medals during his highly successful career.

He is of course someone that Beacroft looks up to and having the chance to learn from such figures is not something the teenager takes for granted.

“He shares his experiences and really helps me out,” said Beacroft. “And Brent Vallance, too. He is the head coach of Australia race walking and he has got some awesome advice.”

And when someone like Tallent describes an athlete as a “generational talent”, it would be wise to take note.

“I had the privilege of witnessing Isaac’s incredible speed and potential at our national walks camp in January, where he impressed national lead coach Brent Vallance and me with his training,” said Tallent. “He challenged our best senior athletes, and we knew then that he would be a force to be reckoned with at Antalya, and therefore no surprise he won gold.

“Isaac is a generational talent and a technically brilliant walker. It's been amazing to watch his progression over the past couple of years, as he's consistently set new records at every distance in Australia under the guidance of his coach, David Beacroft. He's a humble and supportive teammate, and it's great to see him and his fellow competitors working together towards success. Australia now has the deepest field of quality junior male race walkers we've ever had.

“Australia has a rich history of success at the Olympics in race walking, with seven medals in the last 20 years,” he added. “However, we've gone 28 years without a world junior medal in the walk. With 100 days until Lima, Isaac is poised to break that drought as the favourite to win gold. I'll do everything I can to support athletes and coaches in Australia to achieve success and continue our proud tradition in race walking.”

While Beacroft also hopes his journey will include success in Lima and beyond, he’ll be making sure to relish it all. He even has advice for athletes looking to follow in his own footsteps.

“If I could give any advice for anyone coming through – enjoy the sport, that’s what gives you the success,” he said. “A base platform of really loving what you do, and then all the success comes with it.”

Jess Whittington for World Athletics