Defeat doesn't dampen Craig Mottram's determination

Updated November 2 2012 - 10:48am, first published October 1 2008 - 1:25pm

FAILING to make the 5000m final at the Beijing Olympics has not tied runner Craig Mottram down.The 28-year-old said finishing fifth in the heat hurt, but gave him something to aim for in the next four years."I had a chance to make the final but I made some tactical errors which cost me in the first round," Mottram said."It gives me something to aim for in four years."The three-time Olympian from Melbourne took time out of his busy schedule last night to speak at a Ballarat Sportsmen's Club dinner at Doherty's Lodge.Ballarat marathon runner Steve Moneghetti said the city did not often get athletes of Mottram's calibre to visit."I think he is the greatest distance runner we have ever had. We have got someone standing here who can run under 13 minutes for 5000m. We don't get runners like this very often," Moneghetti said."People should appreciate him while he is still running at his best."Mottram said he had three weeks off running after the Olympics but was now back at it every day.His next challenge is the Great Australian Run in Melbourne on November 30.Mottram said the race had attracted the world's fastest marathon runner - Haile Gebrselassie, known as "the boss"."It will be a good race," he said.Mottram is well acquainted with Ballarat Olympian athlete Collis Birmingham, who ran the 5000m at his first Olympics this year."We train together so I know him very well. He has come a long way and improved a lot. I think he will go a long way," Mottram said. Mottram has been running for 10 years, eight of those at international level. He has competed in three Olympics and said his most memorable was finishing eighth in the 5000m at Athens.

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