Athletics Australia – News – Countdown to two big races enters bell lap

The air of excitement around the 5000 metres at this year’s Melbourne Track Classic is almost palpable – and it’s not just affecting the fans.

“It’s big, isn’t it,” says Collis Birmingham.

Yes, Collis, it is big. A world champion and dual Olympic medallist, a world championships bronze medallist, the sixth-fastest man of all-time at the distance, the American who broke 13 minutes three times in 2010 as well as becoming the first non-African born runner to break 27 minutes for 10,000, a fourth placegetter from the world championships, the 2010 US NCAA champion, the Australian champion – the 5000 at the Melbourne Track Classic boasts a field worthy of a world championships or Olympic final.

Before we go on, let’s put a name to those just listed. Bernard Lagat, who won bronze and silver Olympic 1500 metres medals in Sydney and Athens behind Noah Ngeny and Hicham El Guerrouj and then a 2007 world championships double at 1500 and 5000 for his adopted America, is the first mentioned.

Craig Mottram is the bronze medallist. In 2005 he became the only non-African born medallist in the 5000 at the world championships since 1987. He also holds the Australian record.

Isaac Songok of Kenya has run 12:48.66 (making him the sixth-fastest ever) and beat ‘Kenny’ Bekele in Oslo in 2006. Chris Solinsky, of course, is the American who made sub-13 commonplace in 2010; his compatriot Matt Tegenkamp was fourth in the 2007 world champs; Australia’s David McNeill won the US NCAA 5000 last year; Ben St Lawrence is the Australian champion.

A significant men’s 1500 metres is taking shape, too, with the news that US mile record-holder Alan Webb has joined Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis (NZ) and Briggs Athletics Classic winner Jeff Riseley in the field.

But it’s the 5000 that fires the imagination to greater heights. “It’s a quality field,” Birmingham says. “It’s great that a race like that is here in Melbourne.”

Birmingham trained with his Melbourne Track Club group under coach Nic Bideau at Olympic Park yesterday. Birmingham, at 13:10.97 the second-fastest Australian all-time behind Mottram, did an impressive session of 3x3x400, followed by 8×400 off a 30-second recovery. He has just spent 11 weeks training at altitude at Falls Creek, broken only by trips to run the 3000 metres at the Hunter Track Classic and the selection trial for the world cross-country (he won both races).

“I think I’m going alright,” he said. “All the signs are looking good.”

Birmingham is training for his marathon debut in London in April. The Melbourne 5000 and the world cross-country will be his only two races between now and then.

Riseley has won at the past two Melbourne Track Classic meetings. “I’m looking to make it three in a row,” he said.

Indeed, every race Riseley has run at the Melbourne meeting has been memorable. So far, he has three wins out of four; the fourth is memorable for the wrong reasons – “I came last.”

Webb holds the US mile record at 3:46.91, almost four seconds faster than Willis and over 4.5 ahead of Riseley’s personal best. A junior prodigy, Webb was signed to a professional contract by Nike before he had left secondary school. At 18, he broke legendary US miler Jim Ryun’s High School Record in 2001 when finishing fifth in 3:53.43 behind El Guerrouj at the Prefontaine meeting.

Since then, Webb has become a runner of sporadic brilliance, sublime performances mixed in with ‘shockers.’ In one of his best races, he upstaged Lagat and Mottram in the mile at the 2007 New York Games. He is now coached by Alberto Salazar.

Riseley will tackle Webb and Willis confident after his win at the Briggs Athletics Classic. In extreme windy conditions, he took control of the race coming into the final lap.

“I knew I had to get things going from at least 400 out because the other guys would be a lot sharper,” he said.

Riseley said the increase in depth in Australian 1500 running was remarkable, even with Ryan Gregson sidelined with injury and Jeremy Roff running the 5000 in Melbourne.

“In 2006, when I started in senior athletics, if you ran 3:40 that was good. Now, if you run that, you might not even get in the top five.

“Competition breeds success,” says Riseley.

There’ll be plenty of competition in the Melbourne Track Classic.

Tickets to the IAAF Melbourne Track Classic are now on sale, please click here to buy tickets.

2011 Australian Athletics Tour
Round 3: Melbourne Track Classic – Thursday March 3, 2011
Round 4: Sydney Track Classic – Saturday March 19, 2011
Australian Athletics Tour Final Perth: Thursday March 31 – Friday April 1, 2011

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With thanks to Len Johnson

 Athletics Australia – News