The 24-year-old Australian representative missed last year’s Maitland Triathlon with an unusual foot injury called plantar fasciitis but there will be no slowing him down when he returns home for Sunday’s race at Morpeth.

Sexton, born and bred in Maitland, will be out to top his third placing in the 2007 event and to finish his season in style in front of his home crowd.

It has been an unsettled season for Sexton after an 18-month spell brought on by the injury to his plantar aponeurosis (muscle at the bottom of the foot) and his season only really started last month with a late call up to the Australian team for the World Championships on the Gold Coast.

Sexton, who now lives in Canberra, was not pleased with his performance in Queensland but said he was looking forward to competing in the club distance (1km swim, 30km ride, 8km run) race on Sunday.

“I always love racing at home,” Sexton said.

Sexton will be racing along side younger sister Melanie.

The pair will be among the race favourites this weekend with another Maitland product, Gareth Bannon, and fellow Hunter hopeful Scott Llewellyn from Belmont.

In the mid-distance race Lisa Marangon – from Kensington, Sydney – will look to reclaim her crown after being forced to pull out of last year’s race with a fractured foot despite leading into the run leg.

Marangon has won the event - 1.5km swim, 55km ride, 12km run - in 2006 and 2007 but will be up against Canberra’s Melissa Vanderwater this time around.

“She (Vanderwater) is in good form but hopefully I am in better form,” Marangon said.

In the men’s mid-distance event the American-based Paul Ambrose will look to edge out defending champion Chris Dmitrief and Hunter hopeful Nathan Stewart.

Maitland trio Rebecca Hodges, Jane Maher and Ewan Macpherson will cover the mid-distance and be one of 12 squads in the teams event.

The triathlons start at 7am.