New Zealand team to Great Australian Run

Alice Mason returns to the scene of her outstanding second placing last year as a member of a four strong team selected to represent New Zealand in the Great Australian Run.

Mason along with Nina Rillstone, Sam Dobson and Kim Hogarth will compete in the 15km road race in Melbourne on 29 November. In last year’s race Mason ran 51m 27s, 44 seconds behind Beijing Olympic Games marathon silver medallist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya.

Rillstone had her first race in a year, after recovering from Achilles problems, on Sunday winning the Sir Barry Curtis 10km road race. Mason was second.

Dobson was third in Sunday’s 10km while Hogarth comes into the team as the New Zealand 10km road champion and half marathon champion.

In the Great Australian Run last year New Zealand was represented in the men’s race by Adrian Blincoe who finished seventh and Matt Smith who was tenth. The race was won by Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia in 42m 40s.