Front Runner Elite Squad

OUR ELITE TEAM

Front Runner Sports are a world class endurance coaching team.

High Performance Director, Raf Baugh (B.Sc Physio); Coaching Director, Ben Green (B.Sc Hons) and Medical Lead, Steve Gravina work closely together with our sponsors and global partners to deliver a world class pathway for Middle and Long Distance Runners.

Individually and collectively, they have a powerful theoretical and practical skill set, with a proven record of delivering elite athletes to their full potential at a state, national and international level. Perhaps most importantly, our team have worked with various world class sporting teams in various contexts including hockey, basketball and AFL and are capable of delivering an integrated and holistic athletic development programme far superior to single coach systems and more engaged and cohesive than institutionalised models.

Send us Coaching Request with your goals HERE

Front Runner Elite Team Values
Community
We function as a team to achieve more. We pride ourselves on our connectedness to the broader running community and proudly mentor the next generation within the Front Runner framework.
Integrity
We embrace competition with respect for our team mates and rivals. We operate professionally within a transient hierarchy to stay grounded.
Mastery
We aspire for global representation and pursue individual and collective excellence via consistent self-improvement.
2024/25 Team Captains
  • Female Long Distance = Sinead Noonan
  • Male Long Distance = Dean Menzies
  • Female Middle Distance = Angela Ross
  • Male Middle Distance = Kai Metzner & Thomas Moorcroft 

OUR RESULTS

Some of the results from our elite athletes:

  • Global Medal
    • Matt Felton (T46 Marathon Bronze)
  • World #1
    • Thomas Bruins (Powerman Duathlon)
  • 4 National Reps
    • Nic Harman (2018 Commonwealth Half Marathon)
    • Matt Felton (T46 Marathon)
    • Rochelle Rodgers (2019 IAAF World Championships; 2020 World Half Marathon Champs)
    • Sinead Noonan (World Half Marathon Championships Riga 2023)
  • 3 National Records
    • Matt Felton (T46)
  • 4 Regional Elite titles
    • Thomas Bruins (3* Asian and 1* Oceania Duathlon Champion)
  • 6 National Elite or Junior Elite titles
  • 38 State Elite or Junior Elite
  • 116 sub 3hr Marathoners
  • 6 sub 9hr Ironman
  • An honour board of club achievements can be found here 

OUR TIERS

To enter the Front Runner State Elite programme (*), athletes should achieve one or more of following times:

  • Marathon <2:48 Female & <2:30 Male
  • Half Marathon <79:45 Female & <70:30 Male
  • 10,000m <36:00 & <32:12 Male
  • 5000m <17:19 Female & <15:12 Male
  • 3000m SC <10:52 Female & <9:44 Male
  • 1500m <4:32 Female & <3:59.43 Male
  • 800m <2:14.86 & Female and 1:59.06 Male

2025 State Elite Squad Members:

Middle Distance 

  • Angie Ross (800m/1500m): 2020/21/22 State 1500m Champion, 2021/22 State Silver Medalist 800m – PB’s 400m 59.20 (Club Record), 800m 2:11.16 Club Record, 1500m 4:30
  • Kiran Tibballs (800/1500m): 2021 Silver Medalist 800m & 1500m – PB’s 800m 1:51.66, 1500m 3:51.19
  • Kai Metzner (800m/1500m): 2022 State 1500m Bronze Medalist – PB’s 800m 1:52.20, 1500m 3:49.07
  • Finnian Emmett (1500m/5000m): PB’s 1500m 3:57.54, 5000m 15.12
  • Alain Dutton: PB’s 800m 1:51.39, 1500m 3:49.75
  • Thomas Cross: PB’s 800m 1:51.57 & 3000m 8:22
  • Adam Kopp: PB’s 800m 1:52.53

Long Distance 

  • Max Mahon 5k 14.08; 2nd 2025 WA Short XC Champs
  • James Heggie 2.27 Marathon
  • James O’Neill 2.29 Marathon
  • Ollie Palmer 2.24 Marathon
  • Ryan Greenwood 2.26 Marathon
  • Joel Crossing 5km 14.48; 2nd 2024 WA Short XC Champs
  • Brendan Dimmer 3k 8.26 (WA Masters Record); 5k 14.26 (WA Masters Record)
  • Astrid Roberts PB HM 79.50; Marathon 2.48
  • Paul Mackay (Half/Marathon). PB’s Half 69.41; Marathon 2.29
  • Josh Tighe (Half/Marathon). PB’s Half 70; Marathon 2.26
  • Karen Blaney: PB’s 10km 34.30, HM 1.17; 2023 Irish National 10k Road Champion
  • Jo Mills: PB HM 1.18

Multisport

  • Josh Fletcher 
  • Caide Ellis 
  • Liv Smith
  • Coco Smargiassi
  • Jack Wicks

The Front Runner National Elite programme qualifying standards:

  • Marathon <2:34 Female & <2:18 Male
  • Half Marathon <73:18 Female & <64:49 Male
  • 10km <33:49 Female & <30:10 Male
  • 10,000m <33:06 & <29:35 Male
  • 5000m <15:55 Female & <13:58 Male
  • 3000m SC <9:59 Female & <8:56 Male
  • 1500m <4:17.30 Female & <3:46.49 Male
  • 800m <2:07.57 & Female and 1:49.66 Male
  • Ironman <9.45 hr Female <8.50 hr Male
  • Half Ironman <4.20 Female <4.00 Male
  • Classic Triathlon <2.08 Female and <1.54 Male
  • Top 10 World Ranking Multi-sport

2025 National Elite Squad Members:

  • Timothy Lefroy (5000m/10,000m). PB’s 14.03 5000m & 29.38 10,000m (Club Record)
  • Nera Jareb (10km- Marathon)
    • 2020- Busselton Half Marathon winner; 2019 HBF Half Winner; 2nd Bridges 10,000m; State 10,000m Champion; 2nd 2019 Melbourne Marathon; 3rd Oceania Marathon Championships Gold Coast; PB’s 5000m 16.44; 10,000m 34.47; Half Marathon 1.15; Marathon 2.36.
  • Dean Menzies (10km- Marathon)-
    • 2025 WA 50k Record 1st UP Ultra 2.55; State 10k Road Champ 30.04; 3rd Ballarat Marathon 2.18; 1st Bunbury Half Marathon; 3rd State 5k Champs 14.20; Marugame Half 65.08 2024 Gold Coast Half Marathon 65.00; 2nd HBF Run for a Reason 12k; Osaka Marathon 2.18; 2023- 2nd Australian Marathon Championships Sydney; 1st WA Marathon Championships; WA 50k Record 1st UP Ultra 2.59; 2nd Busselton Half 66.49; 2.17.43 PB Osaka Marathon; 2021- 2nd Perth Marathon 2.18.51; 2022 1st WA Half Marathon Championships; Winner Busselton Half Marathon  2020- Winner Busselton Half Marathon; 53rd Lake Biwako Marathon 2.19.56; 2019- 5th Australian Half Marathon Championships (Team Bronze); Winner Busselton Half; 2nd 12km City to Surf; Steigen 10,000m 30.32; 2nd Adelaide Marathon 2.26; 6th Melbourne Marathon 2.21; 2018- Asics Bridges; Winner Darlington Half, 2nd WA 10,000m.
    • PB’s Marathon 2.17.43; Half 65.00; 10,000m 30.04; 14.20 5k.
  • Thomas Moorcroft (800m/1500m):
    • 2024 State 3000m Champion & State Silver 1500m, 2023 State Silver Medalist 800m & 1500m, 2021 & 2022 State 800m Champion, 2022 State 1500m Bronze Medalist – PB’s 800m 1.47.99 (Club Record); 1500m 3:44.31 (Club Record), Mile 4:01.59 (Club Record) & 3000m 8:12.72 (Club Record) 
  • Sinead Noonan (5000m-Half Marathon):
    • Leonora Golden Gift Winner 2021; 5000m 15.57 (State & Club Record); 10,000m 33.41 (Club Record/State All comers Record); 10km 33.29 (Club Record) & Half Marathon 1:13.30 (WA State & Club Record). 2023 World Half Marathon Representative; 2022 5th Australian Half Marathon Championships; 2023 1st Busselton 10km; 1st Port Harbours 10km; 2020 & 2021 WA 5000m Champion; 3rd 2020 WA 10km Road. 

The Front Runner International Elite programme is proudly supported by The Running Centre and also ties athletes into global athlete management & consulting through our strategic partners. Allowing our International elites to access Global racing; Marketing & Sponsorship support.

  • Marathon <2.32 Female and <2.14 Male
  • Half Marathon <1.13 Female and <1.03.30 Male
  • 10k Sub <32.30 Female and <28.30 Male
  • 5k <15.40 Female and <13.45 Male
  • 1500m <4.12 Female and <3.40 Male
  • 800m <2.02 Female and <1.47 Male
  • 400m <52 Female and <47 Male
  • Ironman <9.20 hr Female <8.30 hr Male
  • Half Ironman <4.12 Female <3.50 Male
  • Top 5 World Ranking Multi-sport

Current International Squad Members:

  • Matt Felton T46 Marathon- 3rd 2018 IPC World Cup Marathon (T46); Australian record holder. Coach Raf Baugh; 2nd 2023 IPC Boston Marathon 2.47 
  • Loic Draoulec 8.30 IM First IMWA 2024. Coach Raf Baugh
  • Luke Bate (Triathlon)1st 2024 World Triathlon Asian Cup Osaka Castle & Subic Bay; 2nd World Elite Aquathon Champs; 1st 2025 WA Short XC Champs

KEEN TO JOIN OUR ELITE TEAM?

  • We coach elite athletes across the globe. Send Coach Request HERE
  • Queries? Email us admin@frontrunnersports.com.au