The act of doing something well often belies the difficulty of doing it at all.

Not always: Emil Zatopek never made running look easy, but he made it a darned side harder for those lumbering in his wake. But think of a Federer backhand, a Bekele surge, Tendulkar batting – part of the art is that all of them look simple.

So it was for a Steve Hooker pole vault for the magic years from 2006 to 2010. As he won the Commonwealth Games, the World Cup, the Olympic Games, the world championships and the world indoor championships, he built up an air of invincibility.

Why, it was all so easy he could do it off one leg, as Hooker memorably did in winning the Berlin 2009 world championships despite a strained quadriceps muscle restricting him to just three jumps – one in qualifying, two in the final.

That apparent ease masked the reality that vaulting is difficult – and dangerous. So difficult, in Hooker’s case, that he went for a year virtually unable to jump a bar early in his career. Those demons have returned to haunt him now, at pretty much the worst possible time in his Olympic preparation. 

“The confidence I require to stand at the end of the runway and then charge down, land my pole and soar almost six metres into the air has left me for the time being,” Hooker said this week.

The good news is that Hooker got through ‘the yips’ one time and he can get through them again. Despite an ordinary year last year, he has the Olympic B-standard so, other than the unlikely event of someone else getting the B (or, even less likely) the A-standard, he can be picked for London provided he is on the right track.

It hasn’t been a good few months at the sharp end of Australian athletics. Sally Pearson remains a shining light – though even she had an injury scare in a ‘pro’ race on a grass track just before Christmas.

Jared Tallent is going alright, too, but almost everyone else who has shown out in recent years has a query against them right at the minute.

Mitch Watt hasn’t been jumping due to a calf injury. (A report this week said that he and his support team were “on top of his calf”, which must make it even more uncomfortable.)

Our other top jumper, world indoor champion Fabrice Lapierre, has been struggling too, though he will resume competition in Perth this weekend. Last time he competed there, Lapierre cleared a wind-aided 8.78 metres. Let’s hope it is an omen.

Dani Samuels, 2009 world champion in the discus, has not shown anything like that form since, our 400 men are struggling to get anywhere near individual qualifying times (when they won a bronze medal in the Berlin 4x400, three of them were individual semi-finalists).

Javelinists Kim Mickle and Jarrod Bannister are off the scene, the former injured, the latter suspended for part of the season.

Then dual 400 hurdles world champion Jana Pittman has had an injection for plantar fasciitis, a potentially debilitating foot injury which, like Hooker’s problems, could hardly have come with worse timing.

Finally, there has been the storm that has erupted over the marathon qualifying standards – or, rather, Athletics Australia’s adjustment of the IAAF standard, the only event for which it has done so – which is likely to see anything up to half-a-dozen IAAF A-qualified athletes told that no, in fact they have not qualified.

With all the bullets flying around this week, the last thing you need is to come under ‘friendly fire’.

Back in the lead-up to Sydney 2000, team manager Peter Brukner and head coach Chris Wardlaw had regular media briefings at which, among other things, they ran through the injury list. Many wondered if it was worth it, as the downside was an inevitable negative story on injuries.

Better, the counterview then was, not to have the briefings unless you had something positive to say. And that has been the approach since. It works a treat, too, until you get swept away by an avalanche of bad news, as happened this week.

No doubt everyone is fervently hoping Perth marks the reversal of this trend.

EZ 1961 

The Emil Zatopek 10,000 metres is one of the longest, continually run, track distance races in the world.

Inaugurated in 1961 as the 10,000 metres championship of the Victorian Marathon Club, ‘the Zatopek’ had its 50th running last year and now, in 2011, its 50th birthday.

The men’s Zatopek has been staged annually since. The Zatopek has only one peer when it comes to non-national championship 10,000 metre track races: Kobe, in Japan, has staged a men’s 10,000 at the Hyogo Relays every year since 1952.

These days, the Zatopek is commonly host to the national title and is always a key component of selection for Australian teams to Olympic, and Commonwealth, Games and world championships.

The only tangible reward to the winner, however, is a rudimentary trophy made out of a red-gum railway sleeper. Geoff Warren, one of the early VMC members designed it and Les Perry, a foundation member, described it as “solid, tough and durable, as appropriate to such an event, and to perpetuate the name and contribution to world and Olympic sport by this greatest of all distance runners.”

Percy Cerutty, Les Perry, Bert Gardiner, Gordon Stanley, Bob Prentice, Fred Lester – the men who founded the VMC were men of stubborn endurance. The Zatopek:10, the race they named in honour of their hero, Emil Zatopek, has proven to be as tough and resilient as its founders.

50 years ago: the first ‘Zatopek’, 18 December, 1961

The first of Ron Clarke’s five Zatopek wins was not what the world would come to know as a typical Ron Clarke race. The future world record breaker trailed Tony Cook throughout the second half of the race before his final sprint took him to the lead 50 metres from the finish and a narrow win, 30 minutes 36 seconds to 30:38.

Trevor Vincent was third in 30:56.

From little things . . . . Within three years, Clarke was the world record holder – setting his record in the 1963 Zatopek race – and an Olympic bronze medallist; Vincent was the Commonwealth Games 3000 metres steeplechase gold medallist and a 1964 Olympian; and Cook was eighth in the 1964 Olympic 10,000 final.

All of which must have been some consolation to Bruce Russell of Mentone, who finished fourth in the first Zatopek race. At least he could say it took three good ‘uns to beat him.

40 years ago: the 1971 Zatopek, 20 December

The 1971 Zatopek:10 was held at Melbourne University track. Rarely has the old motto, a healthy mind in a healthy body, been more apt.

World marathon record holder Derek Clayton pulled out two laps into the race with a calf injury. He failed the ‘healthy body’ test.

First across the line was Tony Benson, but he was neither a financial member of the Victorian Marathon Club, nor had he put his entry in on time. He definitely failed the ‘healthy mind’ criterion.

So the race went to Tony Williams, who had finished 17 seconds behind Benson’s 29 minutes 29 seconds. Trevor Vincent was second and Arch Sansonetti, who was also a talented cyclist, third.

Clayton tore round the first lap in 64 seconds before feeling a tightening in his left calf and stopping.

“Blast it . . . Oh, blast. It’s the story of my life. Here we go again,” Clayton was quoted. The second bit may be accurate – Clayton sustained numerous injuries as he punished his body with heavy training loads - but thinking of the feisty and straight-talking Clayton “blast, oh blast” may have been tidied up a touch.

Benson went on to make the 1972 Olympic team. His other consolation is that he may be the most talented distance athlete in Australian history never to win the Zatopek. The other claimant for that distinction would possibly be Chris Wardlaw, a 1976 Olympic 10,000 finalist. Interestingly, both Benson (Barcelona 1992) and Wardlaw (Sydney 2000) were Olympic head coaches.

Williams went on to win several Victorian, and one national, title at 5000 metres.

by Chris Wainwright

The Zatopek Classic, first run in 1961, is the oldest named distance running meet in the world. Held in Melbourne each December, it is traditionally Australia’s most competitive and fastest 10,000m each year. The event, named after Emil Zatopek, the legendary distance runner who rose to prominence at the London Olympics in 1948, is also classed as the premiere distance event on the Australian calendar.

The Zatopek:10 is one of the strongest brands in Australian athletics, and in 2009 the 49th edition of the race will again showcase Australia’s best distance runners. First won by Ron Clarke in 1961 in 30:36 (Ron also won the 10000m event in 1962, in 29:53, and 1963 in 28:15), past winners include such distance greats as Rob De Castella, Steve Moneghetti, Lee Troop, Craig Mottram, Lisa Ondieki, Susie Power and Kerryn McCann. Note: The first women’s 10000m was conducted in 1976, where Adriana Callaghan won the race in a time of 43:18.

Clarke’s Records Commence at Zatopek Meeting
For Clarke, he began setting world records in 1963 at the Zatopek meeting in Melbourne where he smashed the world 6 miles and 10,000 metres record.  He then went to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics as one of the favorites, but was outsprinted by American Billy Mills and finished third in the 10,000 metres. Clarke then had a great European season’s in 1965 and 1966, setting further world records and also picked up two silver medals at the 1966 Kingston Commonwealth Games over 3 and 6 miles.

Clarke’s ambitions were then shattered in Mexico’s rarified atmosphere, although he still managed a fifth in the 5000 metres and sixth in the 10,000 metres behind African athletes – who were conditioned with running at altitude. The effort in Mexico City eventually was to cost Clarke in the long term with heart problems.
Note: In his career Clarke won nine national titles. His best for 5000 metres was 13:16.60 and for 10,000 metres was 27:39.89, national records until 1998 and 1996 respectively.

Zatopek Highlights
Over the years there have been some memorable moments from Olympic Park, including:

• At the age of 19, Robert de Castella set the Australian junior record for the 10000m at the 1976 Zatopek Classic. His time of 28.50.40 remains the fastest ever recorded by an Australian junior athlete over the 10000m.
• Andrew Lloyd set his career best time of 27.57.34, when winning in 1987.
• Steve Moneghetti remains the only person to win four Zatopek 10000m titles in a row (1989-1992).
• Paul Patrick also broke the 28 minute mark in 1993, running 27.59.64, in winning the event at the age of only 22.
• Shaun Creighton set a new Australian record of 27.31.92 in placing 2nd at the 1996 Zatopek Classic. Darren Wilson placed 3rd at the same meeting in a time of 27.37.00.
• Assisting Creighton in running the Australian record was Kenyan Luke Kipkosgei. The Kenyans winning time in 1996 was 27.26.12, which he eventually bettered in 1998 (27.22.54) – a time that still stands as the meeting record.
• Shawn Forrest defeated Clint Perrett in a quality U/20 3000m race in 2002 – 8.07.50 to 8.09.24. Placing 3rd, 4th and 5th in the same race were Jeremy Roff (8.14.53), Michael Shelley (8.15.40) and Collis Birmingham (8.24.34), with all three athletes going onto represent Australia at a senior level.
• One of the best women’s race occurred in 1991, where Carolyn Schuwalow won the event in 31.54.95 to defeat Jenny Lund by just under two seconds (31.56.35). Krishna Stanton was the third Australian across the line in the same meeting, recording a time of 32.17.37.
• In 1999, a year after being beaten by Natalie Harvey, Kerryn McCann won the event in a time of 31.55.94. Less than three seconds behind was Tasmanian Kylie Risk (31.58.90).
• In one of the highlights of the U/20 women’s 3000m event, Melissa Rollinson defeated Georgie Clarke in 2001 - 9.03.64 to 9.09.46.
• Also in 2001, Susie Power set the existing record in the women’s 10000m of 31.26.34 and then backed up the win with victory in 2002 – again breaking 32 minutes (31.58.43).
• In 2003 Haley McGregor ran a career best time of 31.43.14 to win the event by over a minute and a half.
• In 2005, at the age of only 15, Emily Brichacek ran a scintillating 9.21.48 to win the U/20 3000m event.

Latest Results

Race Records – 10000m
Men: 27.22.54 Luke Kipkosgei in 1998
Women: 31.26.34 Susie Power in 2001

Top-10 Lists – 10000m
Men

Women

2009 Highlights

On Thursday 10th December, the 49th edition of the Zatopek Classic will again feature some of Australia’s finest distance athletes. Current 10000m Australian record holder Collis Birmingham (27.29.73) will be joined by athletes such as Benita Willis (PB of 30.37.68 for 10000m), Mark Tucker (PB of 28.44.52 for 10000m), David McNeill (2008 Zatopek winner in 28.03.02), Martin Dent (PB of 28.38.67 for 10000m) and Lisa-Jane Weightman (PB of 33.25.90 for 10000m). The meeting will also include such athletes as Berlin world championship representatives – Tamsyn Lewis, Ryan Gregson, Jeremy Roff and Scott Martin.

So what will the highlight be after the running of the 2009 Zatopek Classic? Will Birmingham back up after the Great Australian Run over 15km and break 28 minutes? Can Willis break 32 minutes in the women’s race? Maybe the 10000m races, which will double as the National Championships and selection trial for the Commonwealth Games, will be upstaged by another performance(s) on the track or in the field?
Either way the Zatopek:10 will again be filled with exciting duels and memorable moments.

On a personal note it signals the official commencement of the domestic season, and with this I hope to see you all at Olympic Park on Thursday night for an action packed night of track and field.

Note: For further information regarding the Zatopek:10 please visit the Athletics Victoria website at www.athsvic.org.au