GEBRSELASSIE, NDEREBA WIN FIRST GREAT AUSTRALIAN RUN
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
Haile
Gebrselassie ran the fastest-ever 15 km on Australian soil, winning
Sunday's first Great Australian Run on the streets of Melbourne.
Catherine Ndereba won the women's race, and both athletes were
victorious by wide margins.
Gebrselassie, 35, the marathon world
record holder, was trying to break Felix Limo's world record of 41:29
set in Nijmegen in 2001, but he did not come close. The Ethiopian with
two Olympic 10,000m gold medals ran 42:40, more than half a minute up
on runner-up Patrick Makau of Kenya (43:15). The surprise third place
finisher was Australia's Collis Birmingham, who clocked 43:35, well
ahead of hometown favorite Craig Mottram, who finished fourth in 44:08.
Ndereba,
36 and twice the world marathon champion, clocked 50:43 in her racing
debut at the 15 km distance. She finished a comfortable 44 seconds
ahead of New Zealand steeplechaser Alice Mason (51:27), while
Australia's Lisa Weightman came home third in 51:31. Australian
marathon record holder Benita Johnson was a disappointing fifth, while
Beijing Olympic Marathon gold medalist Constantina Dita of Romania was
sixth.
Nearly 3000 runners finished the race which both began and finished in Albert Park.
