Martin will be part of the six-strong NSW squad for the under 20s race at Stromlo Forest in Canberra, marking the first time he’s managed to qualify at national level in cross country.

It’s not the first time Martin will be competing at a national level in running. He also took part in March’s Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Perth where he contested the 3km steeplechase.

Martin said making it to the Canberra race was something on his radar since the start of the year.

“This is really exciting. This year I made the NSW team to compete at the national athletics and the other half of my goals for the year were to try and make nationals for cross country because I hadn’t done that before,” he said.

Two qualification attempts were needed by the versatile Kelso High School runner to book his place at the national cross country level.

He picked up a sixth place in the NSW Cross Country Championships in June in Nowra, missing out on the vital top three finish needed for automatic qualification.

However there were still three spots up for grabs in the NSW team and Martin had an opportunity to take one of those in the All Schools Cross Country Championships at Eastern Creek last Friday.

Martin managed fourth place in the 8km event against 82 other runners. Since all three finishers ahead of him had already booked their place at national level the Bathurst runner had made the cut.

Martin finished in a time of 28 minutes and 28 seconds, just 17 seconds adrift of Kieran Tall in third.

The event was taken out by Jye Edwards in 26:32, who beat home Ed Trippas (27:50) to the top step of the podium.

Martin's road towards the qualification events was anything but smooth.

He said the troubles he's gone through to get to national cross country level have made the effort feel all the more special.

"I did get injured not long after the steeplechase with a knee injury so I was out for six to seven weeks there," he said.

"Training's been good now though and this is probably the fittest I've been, ever.

"I was a bit upset about the injury because when it happens training goes back to zero basically. It was tough training to gain the fitness that I'd lost ... but after that, seeing what I've gone through to get to this point, it's made me pretty happy."

Given the impressive achievements of the three runners who finished ahead of him at Eastern Creek, Martin was thrilled to finish so close to them.

“The three guys that beat me went to World Cross Country in Budapest earlier this year. They’re phenomenal athletes,” he said.

“I’d be very happy with a top 10 finish at nationals, which is a big aim but I think if I keep going the way that I’ve been going in training then I think it can be a little bit more achievable.

All Saints’ College student Todd Martin also had a strong finish at NSW All Schools. He finished fifth overall in the athletes with a disability (AWD) division and first in his category.

The Australian Championships start August 19.