Then the crowd yelled out that she was also closing in on the woman in third place.

"Hearing along the way that Shelley had got the gold. I just thought I can do this, go Australia. He certainly helped me to squeeze that little bit extra out of me today," said Trengove.

She wanted more but thought she was still running for fourth, and was happy to claim that.

"My aim at that point was to come fourth, the Canadian up ahead was my goal, I wasn't even thinking third - that wasn't even in the picture in my head - then suddenly people started yelling out third was coming back to me.

"When I saw her, I think I passed the girl in third about where my family was standing - I didn't see them because I was so fixated on passing that girl in third."

Trengove swallowed up the third place and never looked threatened. She was adrift of the Kenyan pair who crossed the line 3.27 minutes ahead of her but Tregove was able to take bronze in a personal best time of 2 hours 30.12 minutes.

"Awesome, I am really happy with that," she said.

Down the final few hundred metres, a smiling but emotional Trengove was already celebrating.

"This feeling is unbelievable running down that home straight there was something I have never experienced before. It is certainly the most emotional I have ever been after a race. I am not sure why that is, whether it is because it has been a challenging build up … having my family and so many Australians out there along the way giving me support and hearing about Shelley winning gold too.

"I am so proud for all of the Aussies today."

Jess' family, including her Melbourne football player brother Jack, were in the crowd. Jack is injured and was able to travel to watch his sister live.

Trengove sat comfortably with the main group for the early stages of the race but when the two Kenyans - Fiomena Daniel and Caroline Kilel - made a break at a drink station at the 15km mark they were never threatened again. Daniel won gold in 2.26.45, Kilel silver in 2.27.10.

Australians have topped the podium in five of the previous seven Commonwealth marathons, including the late Kerryn McCann who won back-to-back golds in 2002 and 2006.

Two other Australians finished in the top ten, with Melanie Panayiotou eighth and Sarah Klein tenth.