01.06.2009

Birmingham's golden run continues in WA

Collis Birmingham's golden run has continued with a win in the Leonora Gift in outback Western Australia at the weekend.

Birmingham, who ran 27:28.48 to break Sean Creighton's national 10,000m record last month, outlasted New South Wales rival Jeremy Roff down the home straight to claim victory in the nation's richest mile foot race.

In winning the event Birmingham, who in 2007 set the race record of 4:02.15 at Leonora, collects $6000 and a $1000 gold nugget.

"It's three laps of a loop course with two hairpin turns in it," Birmingham told Inside Athletics after the event.

"The first lap was pretty slow and Roffy and I were second and third.

"After about 400m I went to the lead and wound it up a little bit for the next 800m."

The 24-year-old Victorian will take confidence from his strong finish in the race. In the dying stages Birmingham overtook Roff, who is bound for the world championships in Berlin to contest the 1500m, proving he still has the speed that saw him clock 3:37.03 over 1500m earlier this year.

"Roffy actually got to the lead before the final hairpin," Birmingham said.

"There's about 140m to go after the hairpin and I managed to pull up beside him and then go past him. I think I got him by a couple of metres.

"I ran 4:11 which isn't bad for a course that has six hairpin turns in it."

Birmingham jets to London today ahead of his entry into the 5000m in Goteburg, Sweden, on June 9.

In other action at the Leonora Gift Kaila McNight took out the women's race ahead of Australian mile record holder Lisa Corrigan, with former national champion Nikki Molan in third.

With thanks to Inside Athletics.