The 'Mick
Jagger' of distance running
Moneghetti smashes old-timer's
mark
STEVE Moneghetti, the fittest, retired 43-year-old runner on the
planet, smashed the veteran's one hour world record at the Ron
Clarke Classic on Saturday night.
Moneghetti
defied cold, windy conditions at Landy Field to cover 19.71km in
one hour, smashing the old mark of 19.149km set by Belgian Jozef
Eyckmans in 1996.
"I have said to
everyone I think I'm the best 43-year-old in the world, and
tonight I had to prove it," said an emotional Moneghetti, who
won marathon medals at three successive Commonwealth Games in a
glittering career.
"This is not
coming out of retirement, this is just me showing that if you
just enjoy what you are doing and stay in there and set little
goals.
"I do a lot of
speaking, I've spoken to every group in Australia and I tell
them back when I ran I set little goals and I think here I am
telling these guys, but I've got to do it myself and tonight was
really a chance to walk the walk."
Moneghetti paid
tribute to runner-up Magnus Michelsson who took an early lead
and ran with him throughout the middle stages of the race.
Michelson
covered 19.47km and another Victorian, Rowan Walker was third
with 19.02km.
From the day
that Moneghetti's protege, best friend, and meet organiser Lee
Troop contacted him about this race six months ago, he had
Eyckmans' over 40s world record written down on a note on his
desk, along with the lap time of 74 seconds that would be
required to beat it.
"The world
record meant a lot to me personally and I hope all these people
can share it with me because that's what I love," said
Moneghetti, who thanked an enthusiastic crowd which lined the
track to cheer him on.
"I knew I could
do it and it was only going to be the conditions that could have
stopped me getting it tonight."
Although he is
officially retired, Moneghetti's next aim is to run the 5,000
metres at the Victorian Championships at the MCG in February.
Tonight's world
record was watched by a who's who of Australian distance running
including Gold Coast mayor Clarke, Victorian governor John Landy
and Robert De Castella.
And it happened
at the same venue where Clarke set the one hour and 20km world
records 40 years ago.
Astonishingly
both of Clarke's marks still stand as the Australian all comers
records.
In other
action, local favourite Louis Rowan went agonisingly close to
becoming the first runner to break the 4 minute mile in Geelong.
The
Commonwealth Games 1500m hopeful tired when heading into a
headwind in the final straight to clock 4:00.42.
"The four
minute mile is a tough one to do. I thought I had a good chance
tonight but it didn't happen", he said.
World
Championship walker Jared Tallent dominated the 5,000m track
walk to win in a time of 19:13.95.
Complete
article at
The Daily Telegraph
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