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

Two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games representative Kiwi Mike Aish is New Zealand's flagship distance runner. At 31 he is the nations 4th fastest man ever over 10'000m running an impressive 27:46.37 at the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford in 2007, while his 13:22.64 is the 6th fastest ever by a New Zealander over 5000m, run his last year of College in 2002. During his tenure at Western State College of Colorado Aish claimed 10 National Championships in Track and two in Cross-Country graduating in 2002 as the fastest 10000m runner over any NCAA division running 28.01. Now focussed on the marathon Aish recorded his second Olympic A standard over the distance in winning the Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon earlier this year recording a personal best of 2.13.20. However, his recent non-selection for the Beijing Olympics by a mismanaged Athletics New Zealand has gained the previous mystery man considerable media attention with his decision not to appeal for a third Olympic appearance. With Beijing now out of his plans I was able to speak to Mike about his career based in the US and his thoughts on New Zealand running.

RunnersTribe:First off, what brought about the move to Western State in Colorado from New Zealand all those years ago?

MA: I didn't have a dollar to my name, was working about 3 dead-end jobs and was going nowhere fast. Lots of schools in the States showed interest and after looking in to them all Western looked to be the best fit. Western State already had a handful of kiwi runners that were doing well and like I said, I had nothing to lose.

RT: Your home and base for most of the year has remained Gunnison in Colorado, what is it that keeps you training there year-in year out?

MA: Gunnison is one of those places where not much changes, it's a small town high up in the mountains and you can really focus on your running. The altitude helps, but I really think that it's more just being in a place that you can train without any distractions (also having about 10,000 miles of dirt roads and forest trails helps too.)

RT: Would you ever consider a permanent move from Gunnison while you're still running full-time?

MA: Yes, I don't think it's the only place in the world that you can train well, plus it's only nice here for about 7 months a year. At the moment it just fits well.

RT: The Gunnison winter is the coldest in the Continental USA, how do you adapt your training to cope with the changing climate?

MA : When I was in college I used to cut the mileage a little in the winters and focus on quality. You could always get your heart rate up so that was kind of the main goal of most workouts. I did a lot of tempo runs on the treadmill and a lot of hill repeats. I ran 28:01 for 10,000m off that kind of training so it must have been ok.

RT: How did your training and racing progress once you finished College, did you immediately decide to coach yourself?

MA: Besides some guiding when I was younger back in New Zealand, I have always coached myself. One of the main reasons that I chose Western was because the racing commitments were a lot less than a bigger division I college. At Western State I was able to have control of all my training and that lead to me to take full control of the whole teams training by the end of the first year. When you are running well and doing the same workouts as the rest of the team, a trust develops between you and the rest of the team.

RT: Are there any outstanding figures whose influences you've carried throughout your career?

MA: Some how I was able to meet and talk with many of the greats of distance runners. This is how I started to compile my own philosophy. It's amazing how many different people around the world train in the same manner. This just showed me that there wasn't a secret workout, but a core amount of work that needs to be done if you want to run well at a high level.

RT: You're now part of the Bideau "Stable" and have since run PR's over the 10k as well as Marathon, what do you attribute to that?

MA: Before I met up with Nic I was kind of coming to an end of what I knew. I had run the same stuff over and over again and didn't seem to be getting as much out of it as I had before. Nic put a new spin on things. The training was just about the same, but this time they had more purpose. I started running workouts that had less rest and more volume. The workouts lead to racing well rather than just looking good on the training track. He's a hard man, but I trust him 100%, Nic gave me a whole new start to my running and without him I'd be long gone from the sport.

RT: You said too me before the Berlin Marathon last year "2:10 or bust", what is it you need to do to finally run 2:10?

MA: The marathon is a different event, I know that I've been in 2:10 shape lots of times but it's a matter of getting it done. It's a fine line between being in great shape and over-doing things. When your fit you kind of feel that your invincible in training until you get to about that 18 mile mark. I know I'll run 2:10, I just don't know when. In the last two years I've really started to focus on the marathon. I feel that I've found what really works for me and in the right race it will happen.

RT: Do you think you could still go faster over the 5 and 10?

MA: I've got a lot of unfinished business on the track, but one good marathon will erase it. I feel that I have the ability to run in the low 13:00's and around 27:30, but in the end where is that going to get me? I'm still going to be a lap behind the pace at the world level. The marathon is so great because everyone has a shot on his or her giving day.

RT: Do you have any plans to race in NZ in the near future? Will we you see you in a Wellington Scottish singlet for the National Road-Relay this year?

MA: I'm thankful to Scottish Harriers for all their support over the years. Whenever I can get a few dollars together I'll be back. I think that the road relay is the best event in New Zealand and whenever I can line up to race it I will.

RT: Running isn't the most lucrative sport to make a living off of, how have you continued to get by and remain full-time for so long?

MA: We live in a small town and the cost of living here is just about nothing. We somehow manage to survive every month so we make it work.

RT: Your recent non-selection for Beijing seems to be a culmination of poor relations between yourself and Athletics New Zealand (ANZ) since Sydney in 2000, has it been particular individuals or the institution itself that has prevented you from competing in your third Olympics this year after 3 A-Qualifiers?

MA: I don't really know what to say about that. I do feel like I was let down by the people that were meant to be fighting for me, what more could I have done? It's been the same thing happening for over eight years now and I've got to the point where I'm finished with the games and I'm looking out for myself now.

RT: Would you ever consider competing at world crossy again?

MA: Funny you say that, I did ask to run in the last two World Cross Country Champs but Athletics New Zealand said I didn't have a time to make the team and didn't want to send me. Maybe this year?

RT: What are your thoughts on the current standards of NZ running, how could it improve?

MA: I feel that New Zealand has loads of talent. There are guys much better than I ever was when I was younger running so well, but I think because they don't see outside the bubble most of the runners settle for the local standards (I was one of those kids until I got to the US and saw that every man and his dog was running sub 14:00 for 5,000m.) You kind of ask yourself why they're doing it and your not? I think that the current runners are on the right track, but maybe sometimes they need to set their goals a little higher. It's ok to fail a few times just as long as you keep going after what you want.

RT: Is there any current NZ runner you'd love to race with over any particular distance?

MA: No, but I'd like to get out for a run and have a yarn with a few.

RT: Thanks Mike for your time and best of luck with your coming racing schedule.

By Daniel Wallis

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