Thousands set for first GNR Down Under

Nov 29 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal

THE Great North Run has gone Down Under. Thousands are set to line up for the start of the inaugural race in Melbourne tomorrow.

The 15km Great Australian Run will feature some of the world’s top athletes battling it out for first place.

Australian Craig Mottram will be up against record-breaking Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie

Meanwhile, team mate Benita Johnson, winner of the women’s Great North Run in 2004, will go head to head against Olympic Marathon winner Constantina Dita-Tomescu.

Race organiser Brendan Foster, who will commentate on Australian TV tomorrow morning, said the run would be against a stunning backdrop of the city. He added: “It’s going well so far. The weather was pretty rough at the start of the week but it’s now changed for the better.

“There are a lot of sports people here and there’s lot of interest in sport so it’s a great idea.

“They have some of the best distance runners in the world based here and they will be the main attraction.

“The people have embraced it. There will be runners from local athletic clubs, charity runners and elite athletes.”

The first Great North Run set off from Newcastle to South Shields in 1981 covering 13.1 miles.

Tomorrow’s event will start and finish in the city’s Grand Prix circuit at Albert Park.

It has taken two years to organise the event and Newcastle-based Nova International have had a management team based in the city since April.

Foster added that top international athletes have praised organisers for hosting the event in their home country.

“It has been described in the Australian Press as the biggest athletic event in Melbourne since the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

“To kick off with Haile Gebrselassie, the greatest distance runner the world has ever seen, running against local boy Craig Mottram is the best possible introduction.”