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Beijing Olympic marathon champion coming to Melbourne
Constantina Dita-Tomescu, the 38-year-old who stunned athletics followers with her breakaway victory in the women’s marathon at this year’s Olympics, is the latest athlete to join the cast of world stars who will compete in the HBA Great Australian Run in Melbourne on Sunday 30 November.
She joins arguably the greatest distance man in history, Haile Gebrselassie and Australia’s number one road runners Benita Johnson and Craig Mottram at the head of the field for the 15km race to be staged on the streets and passing some of the best known landmarks of Australia’s sporting capital.
The Romanian provided one of the great stories of the Beijing Games becoming the oldest winner of the Olympic marathon in history, male or female. Her fearless tactics, which saw her run away from a star studded field just before half way and remain there for the rest of the race, defied both the tough race conditions and her talented opponents.
Few predicted the outcome from an athlete, who despite constantly churning out quick times in road events of all distances had rarely been a winner in top company.
Yet she now comes to the HBA Great Australian Run not only as the fastest women ever at 25km and the second fastest at 30km, but as the Olympic road champion,
At the Melbourne race distance of 15km she sits seventh on the World All Time List, but a tantalisingly close 15 seconds off Japan’s Kayoko Fukushi’s world record of 46:55.
Dita, who was denied a previous chance to compete in Australia when not selected for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, is excited about the prospect of running Down Under for the first time.
“I’m very pleased to be coming to Melbourne for the first ever Great Australian Run. I’ve always wanted to come to Australia and I’ve always wanted to compete in one of the Great Run series of races – so this event presents the perfect opportunity for me to do both of those,” Dita-Tomescu said.
Her presence in the field ensures a more seasoned Great Run performer and Australia’s best female distance runner, Johnson, will be seriously tested if she is to claim victory in her home town event. Johnson has previously tasted success as winner of the Great North, Great South, Great Edinburgh and Great Yorkshire Runs.
“I’ve competed several times against Benita so I know to respect her as a competitor. I know that I must be well prepared to have a strong chance to win the race with Benita on the start line with me. Like myself, Benita can be an aggressive racer so it is sure to be an exciting race,” Dita Tomescu said.
The race will be telecast live by Network Ten around Australia from 8.30am on raceday, and seen by countless millions around the globe when the highlights program is later transmitted by Great Run partner stations in Europe, Africa and Asia and by Fox Sport in Australia and New Zealand.
Entries are now open via www.greataustralianrun.com.au
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