Leahy smashes national record to start Track Nationals with a bang

Olympic champion Conor Leahy smashed the men’s elite pursuit national record to open the 2026 AusCycling Track National Championships with a bang. 

Leahy lit up the Anna Meares Velodrome in Brisbane, clocking 4:04.062 on Tuesday night, his sixth national pursuit gold, adding to his five consecutive national titles in the event between 2020-2024.

Leahy was racing against Olympic gold medal-winning Australian teammate Oliver Bleddyn in the final and showed immense class to catch Bleddyn on his way to breaking the national record. 

It was Leahy’s 10th Track national title of his career adding to previous wins across the points race, team pursuit, Madison and omnium.

Leahy collected his sixth elite national title in the individual pursuit.

“I didn’t see that time coming at all,” Leahy said.

“I wasn’t feeling that confident after qualifying this morning, once I got into the routine and on the track, the legs were feeling really good. 

“I knew it was quick, the coach was calling my splits, and I was going faster than I planned to go, and when I started to see Ollie, it gave me a carrot to chase.”

Leahy broke the national record by almost two seconds. 

“I put a lot of pressure on myself. I haven’t lost this race, since I started competing in it, sixth title and I missed last year," he said.

“To get the win, and when I saw the time, I was super stoked.

“The green-and-gold jersey is super special, especially after the year off, so it’s good to prove to myself that I can still compete. I spent the year on the roads working for my team, and helping my good mates achieve their goals.” 

The 26-year-old will compete across a few more event during the national championships before turning his attention to road cycling. 

“This week we have the points race and scratch races, and looking ahead I’ll go to Europe for Team Brennan for our first season in Europe and that will be a good learning curve and experience, and then Commonwealth Games pending selection, and Track Worlds at the end of the year.”

Claudia Marcks defended her 1km national title.

Claudia Marcks, 22, defended her women’s 1000m time trial title after winning the inaugural event in 2025. The time trial distance for women was previously set by the UCI at 500m.

The ACT rider was over two seconds faster than NSW’s Nicole Duncan and emerging QLD rider Ella Liang in third. 

“It is awesome to be defending champ and keep the jersey,” Marcks said.

“It’s great to have the green-and-gold stripes on. It’s still a pretty new event, so I’m super lucky to have an event like this, it plays to my strengths and gives the sprinters a run for their money.

“Tomorrow I have the individual pursuit and hopefully riding four kilometres really fast.

“It is super special to wear this jersey, I’ve been doing the sport for over a decade, and been on the podium, that feeling never gets old.”

Beau Wootton and Byron Davies (right) defeated Kane Perris and Luke Zaccaria in the Men's B Tandem Sprint.

Brisbane Cycling Festival ambassador and Olympic champion Korey Boddington took out the Men Para C2-C4 sprint final, confidently riding to the front and watching the moves, claiming victory. 

“The green-and-gold jersey is always super special, it never gets old,” Boddington said.

“As a child growing up you see the Australian champion and you idolise them. I’ve been lucky enough to win a couple of national championships now, it’s always super special. I’m sure young Korey would be real proud of me. 

“The plan was to go to the front, I knew I would have enough power to fend them off, so I just kept them on my hip.”

Boddington has a busy schedule across the Brisbane Cycling Festival. After claiming national honours, he is looking to add a few more victories. 

“Brisbane Cycling Festival is awesome, we have this massive week of Track Nationals, then in less that a week, I’ll be doing the Oceania Road Championships,” he said. 

“Two days later we go do the Tour De Brisbane. I can’t wait to ride that, it will be a great way to end the Festival. 

“The goal is always to win. I want to keep putting down good times, keep developing as an athlete and go have fun. 

“I’m a very competitive person. There will be thousands of people, it is going to be chaos, I love it, but I’m sure I’ll be getting around everyone and just having a great time, nothing better than riding a bike.”

The Brisbane Cycling Festival, March 16 to April 12, will transform Brisbane into Australia’s cycling capital, bringing together more than 60 events across four weeks of elite racing, community rides, participation programs and city-wide activations celebrating all forms of cycling.

The Brisbane Cycling Festival is proudly supported by Brisbane City Council through Brisbane Economic Development Agency and the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland.

Photos: Con Chronis