Former Australian Olympic and Commonwealth Games marathon and long distance runner Steve Moneghetti can still run very fast. The 46-year old Ballarat champion gritted his teeth and toughed out a brilliant run in yesterday's Launceston Ten to set a world record 10 kilometre time of 30.00, for the 45-49 age group. Giving away nearly 20 years to some of the younger elite runners in the field, Moneghetti matched the frontrunners for most of the race before crossing the finish line in seventh place just one minute behind the winner Mark Tucker."It was hard work and it didn't feel great and I just felt like I couldn't open up today," Moneghetti said. "I wouldn't have run any quicker but some days they are easier and some days they are harder. I think I felt a little bit of pressure today and expectation and I tried to play that down as much as I could because I really didn't know how I was going to go. I've been around long enough to know you never predict - you just run hard and the time will look after itself."
Moneghetti said he did not have any other records in his sights after finally conquering the 10 kilometre, age-group mark. "It becomes a noose around your neck after a while," he said. "You get paranoid about not getting it because when you get to my age you don't get many chances. I saw at Sandown recently when I ran just over the record and I thought, `Well, there it goes I'm never going to get it,' so it's great to get another opportunity to have a go at it today."
Moneghetti said he still competed in a lot of club, state and national races and received lots of invitations to both compete and commentate.He trains with a group of up- and-coming talented Ballarat runners who he said kept him young and quick.
[Tasmanian Examiner reports]
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