Catherine Ndereba holds off Zhou Chunxiu of China to win the silver medal (© Getty Images)
Reigning World marathon champion Catherine Ndereba, the second-fastest marathon woman of all-time, is the latest signing for the HBA Great Australian 15km Run to be held in Melbourne on Sunday 30 November.
The inclusion of the 36-year-old Kenyan sets up a fascinating rematch with Olympic Marathon champion Constantina Dita of Romania whose participation in Melbourne had already been announced. The 38-year-old Romanian beat Ndereba to the Olympic title in Beijing, with the Kenyan just prevailing over China's Zhou Chunxiu to take her second successive Olympic silver.
Ndereba’s marathon record at major championships is unsurpassed in women’s distance running with two World championship titles (2003 and 2007) and a silver (2005), and two Olympic marathon silvers (2004 and 2008) to her credit.
Britain’s Jo Pavey, the 2006 Commonwealth Games 5000m silver medallist, and Australia’s 2004 World Cross Country champion Benita Johnson are the other principal names in the women’s race.
With just one month remaining to the HBA Great Australian Run, the 15km classic has quickly become one of the best quality road races ever staged in Australia, outside the Sydney Olympics.
On the men’s side, the line up includes World marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia and the reigning World marathon champion Luke Kibet of Kenya, as well as Australia’s best distance runner Craig Mottram.
David Culbert and Michelle Cook for the IAAF
