Mottram to meet Kipchoge in Madrid on New Years Eve
Posted Wednesday, 27 December, 2006
Commonwealth 5000 metres silver medallist Craig Mottram challenges for a second success in three years at the "San Silvestre Vallecana" 10kilometres road race in Madrid.
Mottram left his Melbourne home on Boxing Day to renew rivalry with his old foe Eliud Kipchoge in the high quality race which welcomes in the New Year in the Spanish capital.
The duo's last head-to-head saw the Aussie defeat his Kenyan opponent when posting a world best performance for 3000m at the Great North road races in Newcastle, England in September.
Since then Mottram has been back in Australia training for his return to Europe and leaves in excellent form displayed after setting a record of 10minutes eight seconds during a trial around Melbourne's 3.84km tan track in the circles of city's Botanical Gardens.
Mottram has an outstanding record in 10km road events, his only loss coming as a junior in 1999 when beaten by Australian Olympian Julian Paynter in the Victorian championship.
Since then he has recorded 12 consecutive victories at the distance including four wins in the BUPA Ireland Great Run, and scalping Kenya's former world 10,000m world record holder Paul Tergat at the Great Manchester Run.
Now he is determined to maintain his unique record and dispose of Kipchoge and the other elite athletes challenges in what is always an action packed Madrid race.
Mottram will be joined in Madrid by training partners, former World Cross Country champion Benita Johnson who made it an Australian double with her 2004 win and the national 10000m champion Andrew Letherby.
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