Madrid, Spain – Australia’s Craig Mottram took a fine win in the ‘40th San Silvestre Vallecana’ a 10km road race held on New Year’s Eve (31 Dec).

The quality line-up also included Kenya’s current World Marathon record holder Paul Tergat, Spain’s European 10,000m champion and last year’s winner José Manuel Martínez, along with his countryman Juan Carlos de la Ossa, who snatched the European Cross Country silver medal some three weeks ago.

The race started slower than in previous editions and so the first half (downhill) was covered in 14:15 a comfortable pace for Mottram. Last summer the Australian set an outstanding 12:55.76 personal best over 5000m on the track in London, just four weeks before coming eighth (first non-African) in the Olympic 5000m in Athens.

After the eighth kilometre six men still remained in contention, with the Spanish pair of Martínez and European 3000m indoor bronze medallist Jesús España sharing the pacemaking duties to the delight of the crowd.

Tergat never headed the leading pack but was closest to Mottram when the long-legged Australian injected a decisive and devastating kick with 1200m to go. Mottram built a wide gap over his chasers in a matter of few seconds and romped home in 28:18, six seconds ahead of former five-time World Cross Country champion Tergat, who was himself one second clear of the promising Spain-based Moroccan Ayad Lamdassem.

España, who eyes a medal over 3000m  at the next European Indoor Championships to be held in Madrid (4-6 March), overtook De la Ossa in the final stages to be fourth and the first Spaniard home, 16 seconds adrift of Mottram, while Martínez finally came sixth.

“The atmosphere was fantastic: crowded streets, very supportive spectators…I’ll be back next year to defend my title” said an elated Mottram who had arrived in Madrid on Monday (five days prior to the event) to avoid the jet-lag effects.

Benita Johnson completes the Australian double

The women’s race was held simultaneously to the men’s and witnessed Johnson’s overwhelming win (55th place overall) from World Marathon champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya. The winning time for the current World Cross Country (long race) champion was 32:35 with a handsome margin of 43 seconds on Ndereba while Spain’s Yesenia Centeno took third another eighth seconds behind.

Emeterio Valiente for the IAAF

Men (10,000m)
1. Craig Mottram (Aus) 28:18
2. Paul Tergat (Ken) 28:24
3. Ayad Landassem (Mor) 28:25
4. Jesús España (Esp) 28:34
5. Juan Carlos de la Ossa (Esp) 28:38
6. José Manuel Martínez (Esp) 28:42

Women (10,000m)
1. Benita Johnson (Aus) 32:35
2. Catherine Ndereba (Ken) 33:18
3. Yesenia Centeno (Esp) 33:26
4. Beatriz Ros (Esp) 33:55
5. Carla Sacramento (Por) 34:16