Craig Mottram successfully defends his 3000 title in Athens (© Getty Images)
Australia's leading distance runners Craig Mottram and Benita Johnson will make the long journey to compete at the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country, one of ten IAAF XC permit meetings of the 2006/07 season, in the New Year.
The pair who live in England for much of the year are returning early for what is considered to be the world's top non-championship meeting, taking place in Holyrood Park on January 2007.
Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, who last March went on to complete a fifth long and short course race double at the World Cross Country Championships, and Gelete Burka, who claimed the women's short course World Cross crown in Fukuoka, were this year's race winners.
Mottram who ended an excellent track season by surprisingly defeating Bekele when defending his 3000 metres title at the World Cup Final in Athens, and Johnson the 2004 World Cross Country women's long course champion, are the first top names to commit themselves to the Edinburgh event.
"They've both competed in Edinburgh before and know the quality of opposition they can expect to face on the day," said Matthew Turnbull, elite athletes director for the meeting.
Mottram against a star-studded field was pushed into ninth place at the inaugural 2005 meeting in the Scottish capital, while Johnson was much more successful losing by just a second to World 5000m champion Tirunesh Dibaba.
Nicola Hedley for the IAAF
