Andrew Buchanan

Andrew ‘Andy’ Buchanan’s rise to the top of the Australian distance running scene has been a long time coming, but for the proud Bendigoian, his seemingly ‘overnight success’ has been years and many miles in the making.

As a two-time national champion, Andy is a well credentialled cross country athlete, but would make his Australian debut on a different surface, the road, as he tackled the marathon at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022. He would place seventh in 2:15.40. Over the next two years, twice at the Hamburg marathon he would run PBs of 2:10.20 (2023) and 2:08.58 (2024).

In July 2024 he lowered his half marathon best to 62:25 when winning at the Gold Coast.

Initially selected for the Paris Olympics as an AP (reserve) athlete, he was named on the team on July 26 following the withdrawal of injured marathoner Brett Robinson.

Born in Colac, but raised in Bendigo, it might be said that marathon running is in Andy’s blood, with both his parents completing all six of the world majors. Famously, Alan and Jenny finished the Boston marathon in 2013, the year of the bomber, however luckily, both were well finished and back in the hotel room before the danger ensued.

Despite this pedigree, the 33-year old only began to take his craft more seriously in the later years of high school, progressively increasing his dedication and the hard hours required for distance running after relative success through school competition.

Training by correspondence under the wing of coach Scott Westcott since 2014 - a Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Olympic Games representative himself - the pair first met after a coaching course where Scott grabbed a lift from Andy to the airport on the way home.

Averaging 160-170km mileage per week, Andy is perhaps best known for his dominance in the Australian cross country scene.

Winning his first Australian Cross Country title in 2017, he followed up in 2018, saluting again to become one of only four Australian men to record back-to-back national Cross Country titles (Dave Power, Robert Vagg, Rob De Castella and Mizan Mehari).

“It’s incredible really, you don’t realise until a few days after when it really starts to sink in that you are the national champion. To be an Australian champion is something that can never be taken away from you and something that I have worked extremely hard for,” Andy said of his 2018 title.

As often is the case with many elite marathoners, Andy relishes the enduring slog of running and the camaraderie of the Victorian cross country scene, racing for the ‘Bendigo Bats’ as a member of the Bendigo University Athletics Club.

Andy’s best half marathon time to date came at Tachikawa, Japan, running 1:02:50, while in the 2019 Zatopek:10, he finished seventh in 28:26.14.

A high school teacher at Bendigo South East College, he teaches Year 7, 8 and 10, while also finding the time to pass on his expertise through a private coaching business - Run2PB - as well as at his school’s athlete development program.

“The kid’s show a big interest in my running,” Andy said, as he fits in his training before and after school hours.

“Although funnily when I returned from the Hamburg marathon, my Year 7’s thought I’d be disappointed because I didn’t win the race. So they definitely set a high standard for me!”

Andy credits Westcott’s guidance for staying injury-free over a long period of time.

“I think this is due to consistent years of training. It has been a long process,” he said.