Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:

Mile:1988 - 1st
3000 metres:1994 - 3rd
10000 metres:1995 – 2nd, 1999 – 2nd, 2000 – 4th, 2002 – 1st, 2006 – 2nd
Cross Country:1992 – 1st, 1998 – 2nd, 1999 - 1st
Half Marathon:1992 – 2nd, 1993 – 1st, 1994 – 2nd, 2006 – 1st
Marathon:1986 – 3rd, 1988 – 1st, 1993 - 1st

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Commonwealth Games:1994 – Marathon 10th (2:40.10), 2002 - 10,000 - DNS, Marathon – 1st (2:30.05) 2006 Marathon 1st (2:30.54)

Olympic Games:1996 - Marathon – 28th (2:36.41), 2000 – Marathon 11th(2:28.37) 2004 -Marathon 31st (2:41.41)

World Championships:1995 - Marathon 15th (2:36.29), 1999 - Marathon 23rd (2:38.31)

World Cross Country: 1988 - 6km – 104th, 1993 – 38th, 1994 – 98th, 1995 – 79th, 1999 - 18th

World Half Marathon:1993 – 38th (1:14.11)

Marathon Career (23 races/22 finished):

06/08/86 6th Sydney, 2:54.39
24/07/88 3rd Gold Coast (Aust Champs – 1st ) 2:44.05
05/03/89 8th Los Angeles 2:45.17
18/07/93 2nd Gold Coast 2:40.10
30/01/94 11th Osaka 2:34.08
27/08/94 10th Victoria,Canada 2:40.10
02/05/95 9th London 2:33.23
05/08/95 15th Goteborg 2:36.29 (short course)
28/07/96 28th Atlanta 2:36.41
18/04/99 7th London 2:28.43
29/08/99 23rd Seville 2:38.31
16/ 4/00 5th London 2:25.59
24/09/00 11th Sydney 2:28.37
05/11/00 8th New York 2:30.39
07/10/01 3rd Chicago 2:26:04
27/01/02 4th Osaka 2:28.30
28/07/02 1st Manchester 2:30.05
03/11/02 7th New York 2:27:51
22/09/04 31st Athens 2:41.41
07/11/04 10th New York 2:32.06
6/03/05 DNF Los Angeles
05/06/05 4th San Diego 2:32.29
19/03/06 1st Melbourne 2:30.54

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
Marathon
1988 2:44.05
1989  2:45.17
1993 2:40.09
1994 2:34.08
1995 2:33.23
1996 2:36.41
1999 2:28.44
2000 2:25.59
2001 2:26.04
2002 2:27:51
2004 2:32.06
2005 2:32.29
2006 2:30.54

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
5000 metres
2000 15.08.69

10000 metres
1999 31.55.94

Half Marathon
2000 1:07.48

Marathon
2000 2:25.59

Interesting Facts

Kerryn's husband, Greg, was a two-time Australian surfing representative and was Australian Champion in 1983.

Their son Brenton, was born in September 1997 and celebrated his third birthday on the day of the Sydney Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Kerryn's father, John, ran his first marathon at the age of 41 and recorded a time of 2:40.58.

On 25 October 2003, Kerryn gave birth to her second child, a daughter Josie.

On 5 September 2007, Kerryn gave birth to her third child, a son Cooper.

Sporting Career

Kerryn McCann's athletic career started in 6th grade at primary school where she won the State Cross Country Championship.

Kerryn ran her first marathon aged 19, placing 3rd at the Australian Championships. Proving she was versatile, she won the Australian mile title in 1988 aged 21 and two months later made her debut for Australia at the World Cross Country Championships.

Kerryn started 2000 with an Australian half marathon record in January, then in April she lowered her marathon best to 2:25.59 in London, placing 5th. While preparing for the Sydney Olympics she smashed the Australian 5000m record with a time of 15:08.69. At her home Olympics, Kerryn ran what is arguably her finest marathon, placing 11th in a time of 2:28.37 on the tough Sydney course.

McCann won the national 10,000m title in April 2002 and was selected in the 10,000m and marathon for the 2002 Commonwealth Games team. At Manchester, Kerryn claimed gold in the marathon in an Australian clean sweep of the medals. Significantly this was Kerryn's first championships medal. Following the Commonwealth Games, Kerryn placed a commendable 7th in the New York Marathon - one place better than her previous effort in 2001.

Pregnant for most of 2003, she had her second child on October 25. Kerryn resumed training for the Athens Olympics in late 2003 and raced two half marathons (72:17 and 71:08) in May and July. In Athens, Kerryn placed 31st in a time of 2:41.41. McCann was 10th in the New York Marathon in Nov 2004. Kerryn did not finish the LA marathon in March 2005.

Running her 20th marathon in June, Kerryn placed 4th at the San Diego Marathon in a time of 2:32.29. In November, she finished 14th in the Tokyo marathon in 2:29.35.

Kerryn started 2006 with a 2nd in the National 10,000m in Sydney in 33.01.19.

However, her most memorable moment of 2006, was the most memorable moment of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games. In a stirring finish to the marathon, Kerryn and Kenyan Hellen Cherono swapped the lead over the closing 3kms as they ran towards the MCG. A capacity crowd within the stadium watched on the screens as the two athletes fought it out and roared whenever Kerryn took the lead. They entered the stadium to perhaps the greatest roar the 1956 Olympic venue has ever heard, which lifted Kerry over the closing 300m to take gold and successfully defend her title.

Kerryn had been battling illness since she was diagnosed with breast cancer on August 10, 2007. At the age of 41, Kerryn sadly lost her battle on December 7, 2008.