Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
800 metres: 1996 (U20) - 3rd
1500 metres: 1996 - 1st (U20), 1997 - 2nd, 1998 (Commonwealth Games Trials) - 6th, 2000 - 5th (3rd Australian), 2000 (Olympic Games Trials) - 4th, 2002 - 3rd
5000 metres: 2000 (Olympic Games Trials) - 1st, 2002 - 2nd, 2003 - 1st, 2005 - 1st, 2007 - 2nd (1st Australian)
10,000 metres: 2004 - 1st, 2006 - 1st
Cross country: 1997 (U20) 4km - 1st

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Olympic Games: 2000 - 5000m 6th heat (15:21.37), 2004  - 10,000m 24th (32:32.01)
World Cross Country Championships: 2001 - 4km 6th, 2002 - 4km 4th, 2003 - 4km 5th, 2004 - 8km 1st, 2005 - 8km 7th, 2006 - 4km 4th, 8km 4th
World Indoor Championships: 2001 - 3000m 6th (8:42.75), 2003 - 3000m 7th (8:51.62)
World Junior Championships: 1998 - 1500m 7th (4:16.75)
World University Games: 1999 - 1500m 5th (4:15.72)
World Championships: 2001 - 5000m 12th (15:36.75), 2003  - 10,000m 8th (30:37.68), 2005 - 10,000m 19th (31:55.15), 2007 10,000m - 17th (32:55.94)
World Half-Marathon Championships: 2003 - 3rd (1:09:26)
IAAF Grand Prix Final: 2001 - 3000m 8th (9:33.31)
Commonwealth Games: 2002 - 5000m 6th (15:26.55), 1500m 7th heat (4:24.43), 2006 - 10,000m 4th (31.58.08)
IAAF World Cup: 2002 - 5000m 4th (15:20.83)

MARATHON CAREER:
07/11/04 - 14th New York (2:38.03)
17/04/05 - 6th London (2:26.32)
22/10/06 - 3rd Chicago (2:22.36)
22/04/07 - 7th London (2:29.47)
7/10/07 - 5th Chicago (2:38.30)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:

5000 metres
2000 15.27.37
2001 15.04.18
2002 14.47.60
2003 14.54.52
2004 15.16.61
2005 15.21.02
2006 15.13.46
2007 15.36.45

10,000 metres
2003 30.37.68
2004 31.49.97
2005 31.55.15
2006 31.14.80
2007 32.55.94
2008 33.08.59

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
1500 metres: 4.07.05 - Melbourne, 2/03/00
Mile: 4.32.61 - Melbourne, 18/02/06
2000 metres: 5.37.71 - Ostrava (CZE), 12/06/03 (national record)
3000 metres: 8.38.06 - Gateshead (GBR), 13/07/03 (national record)
5000 metres: 14.47.60 - Berlin (GER), 6/09/02 (national record)
10,000 metres: 30.37.68 - Paris (FRA), 23/08/03 (national record)
Half Marathon: 1:07.55 - Newcastle (GBR), 26/09/04
Marathon: 2:22.36 - Chicago (USA), 22/10/06 (national record)

RECORD(S):
National record - marathon: 2:22.36 - Chicago (USA), 22/10/06
National record - 10,000m: 30.37.68 - Paris (FRA), 23/08/03
National record - 3000m: 8.38.06 - Gateshead (GBR), 13/07/03
National record - 2000m: 5.37.71 - Ostrava (CZE), 12/06/03
National record - 5000m: 14.47.60 - Berlin (GER), 6/09/02
National record - 5000m: 15.01.44 - Osaka (JPN), 11/05/02
National record - 5000m: 15.04.18 - Oslo (NOR), 14/07/01
National Indoor record - 3000m: 8.42.75 - Lisbon (POR), 10/03/01

Interesting Facts

Benita represented Queensland and Australia in hockey at under-18 level in 1995 and 1996. Hailing originally from Mackay (like Catherine Freeman), she now splits her time between homes in Melbourne and London, having spent a period at the AIS in Canberra in between.

Sporting Career

Although already a very talented junior distance runner, Benita turned down selection in the 1996 World Junior team to continue playing junior international hockey. She returned to the sport in 1997, running a sound 4:17.79 in the 1500m final at the Nationals and then placing seventh at the 1998 World Juniors in Annecy.

She performed well in both 1999 and 2000, with a fifth placing in the 1500m at the World University Games and a win in the 5000m Olympic trial in a personal best time.

At the Olympics, Benita finished sixth in her heat, narrowly missing a place in the final. In March 2001 she began her love affair with the World Cross Country Championships, placing sixth in the short course event shortly after breaking the national record to also place sixth in the 3000m at the World Indoors.

A twelfth place finish in the 5000m at the 2001 World Championships was followed by an even better performance, a fourth in the 2002 World Cross Country Championships the best ever place by an Australian. Completing a busy year, she finished sixth in the Commonwealth Games 5000m and fourth in the same event at the World Cup in Madrid.

2003 saw Benita enjoy another great World Cross Country Championships - placing fifth before her 10,000m debut in May resulted in a classy 31:28.41 time. In Gateshead in July, national record number six was delivered when she clocked 8:38.06 over 3000m. At the World Championships in Paris, contesting only her second 10,000m, she placed eighth in a truly marvellous final - smashing the Australian record by 50 seconds with a time of 30:37.68.

On March 20, 2004, competing in Brussels at her fourth World Cross Country, Benita won gold in the long course race - Australia's first ever medal at these championships. It was also the first gold medal won by an Australian woman in a distance event at Olympic or World Championship level.

Injury affected any real chance of success in the Athens Olympics but soon after she bounced back with the year’s second fastest half marathon time of 67:55 in Newcastle (GBR). She squeezed in her marathon debut in November in New York.

After some early quality road and cross country running in Europe in 2005, Benita came home briefly to win the national 5000m title before finishing seventh in the World Cross Country. Her second marathon in April in London was run in 2:26.32, moving her to No. 4 on the Australian all-time list. Low iron levels contributed to a below par performance in the 2005 Helsinki World Championships over 10,000m.

Benita won the 2006 national 10,000m title in Sydney in 32.33.09 and was fourth at the same distance at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games. She ran with tenacity in both long and short course races at the 2006 World Cross Country in Fukuoka (JPN), leading the Australian team to a bronze medal in the 4km - another first. In October, she bettered Lisa Ondieki’s national record when finishing third in the Chicago Marathon (2.22.36).

The 2007 year began well with another national title at 5000 metres, a seventh place in good time in the London Marathon and a series of road race victories in the US.

Competing over 10,000m at her fourth World Championships in Osaka in August, Benita fell over another competitor who had stopped to retrieve her shoe and lost some important ground in the race. While she made it up, her momentum and aspirations were spoiled and a nasty gash to her leg had to be treated. No-one would argue that she deserved to finish better than 17th.

A win in the Great Yorkshire Run (10km) and fifth place in her Chicago Marathon defence closed another solid year for the distance star.

In an impressive career to date, Benita’s World Cross Country victory in 2004 is the highlight but she continues to perform. She has quickly compiled one of the most impressive distance running resumes in Australian history - eight national records and top eight finishes in every major championship (except the Olympics), including seven occasions in World Cross Country alone.

Benita will line up for her third Olympics in 2008, this time competing in what will be a very tough, marathon.

Family connections
Sister Caitlin (Pincott) is also a talented track and field athlete, joining Benita on the 2006 Commonwealth Games team and collecting a gold medal in the 4 x 400m relay to outdo, on that occasion, her more famous older sister.