Mottram and Johnson race into 2007

Craig Mottram left Melbourne Boxing Day headed for Madrid where he will race the San Silvestre Vallecana 10k road race through the streets of Madrid on New Years Eve.

Mottram, the winner of this event in 2004 will meet last year's winner, 2003 World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya in what is sure to be a thrilling contest.

Kipchoge finished second to Mottram in the Australian's last race in England back in September on Newcastle's Quayside where he set a world best for a 3km road event.

Since then Mottram has been back in Australia training for his return to Europe and leaves in excellent form displayed when setting a record of 10min 8sec during a trial around Melbourne's 3.84km tan track the circles the city's Botanical Gardens.

Mottram has an outstanding record in 10km road events with his only loss when he was a junior in 1999, beaten by Australian Olympian Julian Paynter in the Victorian 10km road championship. Since then he has recorded 12 consecutive victories at the distance including four wins in the Dublin's Great Ireland Run, beating former 10,000m world record holder Paul Tergat of Kenya  in the Great Manchester Run and again in Madrid in 2004 and winning the last two years in New York's Healthy Kidney 10k.

Among those he has beaten have included such quality opposition as Olympic 10,000m medallists, Tergat, Zersenay Tadesse, American 10k record holder Meb Keflizighi, New York marathon winner Hendrik Ramaala and European Cross Country champions Sergiy Lebid and Mo Farah.

Mottram will be joined in Madrid by training partners - former World Cross Country champion Benita Johnson who also won here in 2004 and Australian 10,000m champion Andrew Letherby who last New Years won the four mile race in New York's Central Park.