29.05.2009

Johnson headlines weekend events

Australian distance runner Benita Johnson is bound for the Big Apple this weekend in a bid to become the second entrant in the event’s 31-year history to win the Freihofer’s Run for a fourth consecutive time.

Johnson, 29, has won every edition of the 5km road race since 2006 and will this weekend aim to emulate the feat of Lynn Jennings in winning the event for the fourth year in a row.

Jennings, widely considered one of the greatest female distance runners in US history, took out the run from 1993 to 1996 and claimed a further four titles in 1987, 1988, 1990 and 1998.

Standing in Johnson’s way will be Olympic representatives Elva Dryer (USA), Barbara Parker (GBR) and Dulce Maria Rodriguez (MEX) alongside a host of local and international hopefuls vying for the $10,000 prize purse up for grabs in Albany, New York.

In 2007 Johnson clocked her best time in the Freihofer’s Run, stopping the clock at 15:22 just four seconds short of the event record.

The four-time world championships representative headlines a big weekend of track and field action that sees:
 
- Sally McLellan (400m), Pirrenee Steinert (400m), Madeleine Pape (800m) and Caitlin Pincott (800m pace) turn up the heat in the opening meet of the Gold Coast winter series.
 
- Andrew Letherby (marathon pace), Lisa Weightman (half marathon), Scott Westcott (half marathon) and Shane Nankervis (half marathon) take on New Zealand’s best in the Christchurch Marathon.
 
- Mark Tucker start favourite for the Sandown Classic 10km in Melbourne on Saturday following his third placing in the Sydney half marathon two weeks ago.

- Lachlan Renshaw, Nick Bromley and Ryan Gregson take to the start line of the Balmoral Burn, a 420m dash up Awaba Street hill in Sydney.
 
- Tom Barnes (20km) continue his World University Games preparations at the next leg of the IAAF Race Walk Challenge in Krakow, Russia.
 
- Rising sprint star Melissa Breen line up in the 100m in Canberra.

For results and all the latest news from on the track and in the field, stay tuned to athletics.com.au.