Mottram targets London marathon and Rio

Good on him

Be good for Australia atheltics

Promote running in Australia

I think he is can run sub 210

Awesome - I love this guy. One of few athletes with a bit of personality!

I'm getting hit with a paywall on that link, but this one worked for me:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more-sports/rio-2016-craig-mottram-wants-to-compete-in-the-marathon-at-the-rio-olympics/news-story/25c00d5a79eb590b684d7660f0d7dad5

Posting in case anyone else has the same issue.

On second thought, I think I just posted the same link as it's blocking me when I click on it. Somehow I did get through though when I googled the article and went to it through google. Maybe that's how I got passed the paywall, I'm not sure.

It would be great for athletics and distance running in Australia..they don't have much going on for them at present

It worked when I accessed it through this tweet: https://twitter.com/RobWhitmill/status/694135260825542660

Highlights of the Article:

1. Not going for the win in London, looking for around 2:13

2. 5 men from Australia have the Oly standard already, so Mottram has to run faster than 3 of them and anyone else looking to move up to the marathon or qualify at the last minute

3. Goal will be to run his asss off in Rio, should he make it

4. Chose London b/c its the British trials and he expects a group aiming for around 2:13

Here's the first part of the article. The site will block you from accessing it if you try to access it a second time. Couldnt copy the second part

CRAIG Mottram wants to create history by competing in his fifth Olympic Games in Rio.

One of Australia’s greatest middle-distance runners is stepping up to the marathon for the first time and will seek Olympic qualification at the London Marathon on April 24.

While many thought the 35-year-old had hung up his running shoes, Mottram has been quietly building over the past six months.

“I actually never retired,” Mottram says.

“It was always that I no longer wanted to race on the track anymore but I have always kept in touch with the road.

“I just wanted to work on other areas in my life; family and business.

PART 2 from

http://www.heraldsun.com.au

“It never left my mind that Rio was a possibility, but it was never a priority until three or four months ago when I needed to make a decision.”

No other Australian track and field athlete has been to five Olympics while only 23 men have done it globally — the majority of those walkers and throwers.

“That excites me,” Mottram says. “That motivates me to try and attempt it. I love running and have been keeping fit with the group that I coach.

“This is leading by example to a certain degree as well, showing young athletes that if you want it bad enough, and are doing the work, then you can continue to do it.”

Mottram competed in the 5000m at his four Olympic appearances, his best finish an eighth at Athens in 2004.

In 2005 he became the first non-African to win a medal at a world championships in almost 20 years, when he finished third, while at the 2006 Commonwealth Games he took silver in an epic battle with Kenya’s Augustine Choge.

The man dubbed The Big Mazungo by his African rivals, mixed it with the best, including Olympic greats Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele, at the height of his career and still holds a host of national records including the 5000m.

But he sensed his focus shift in the lead-up to the London Games.

“We found out Krystine was pregnant on the way to airport basically,” Mottram explains. “I was then in America preparing for the Olympics, so I hadn’t spent any time with her during the first 20 weeks of her pregnancy.

“When I came home, setting up the house and all those things new parents do excited me and running didn’t excite me that much at the time.

“Especially the track stuff, I was finding it more and more tedious and hard work. The sessions weren’t as easy as they used to be.

“I never stopped enjoying going for a run, I stopped enjoying the environment that we had created from a training perspective.”

PART 3 from

http://www.heraldsun.com.au

As his family expanded — they now have a three-year-old son Christian and one-year-old daughter Mikaela — Mottram and Krystine, whose PhD research focused on athlete wellbeing, set up a high performance management company ‘elitewellbeing’.

They work with individual athletes, clubs and schools — including the Western Bulldogs and Haileybury College — on the development of talent.

Mottram kept running — completing the Great Ocean Road Marathon and several fun runs, including the City to Surf and Herald Sun’s Run for the Kids.

He also paced his training partner, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jess Trengove, to victory in the Melbourne Marathon in October which booked her spot for Rio.

“Physically, I’m probably as good in terms of injuries as I have been in 10 years,” Mottram says. “I’m confident I can do it, I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think so.”

The qualifying mark is 2hr 19min but already there are five other Australians under that time so Mottram believes he’ll have to run 2:13 to ensure he makes it.

“The reason I have picked London, apart from the fact I lived there for a long time and it is very familiar to me, is that it’s also the British trials and they will have pace around the required time.

“Normally, it’s won in 2:05 or thereabouts. I’m not looking to do that, I’m looking to what is required for the qualifier.”

He’s realistic about how much the sport has changed since he was at his peak even though the competitive fire still burns.

“I’m currently not worried about medals in Rio,” Mottram says. “I am just focused on the tough task of trying to qualify.

“The opportunity to run my backside off in a fifth Olympics is certainly worth trying for.

“And it’s a good news story for our sport that is probably at a point where it definitely needs it.”

10 posts and no "big balls" jokes?

2:13 should be reasonable for him. Is Marty Dent still running? Michael Shelly must have the qualifier right?

I'm not sure he has the right mix talent. And 2:13 is pedestrian. But good luck to him.

Its also great way to interview for a commentator's spot.

Forrest is also running London and going for the qualifier. Shawn has run 61:24 half marathon and a great story for Australian Athletics as he was diagnosed last year with Type 1 Diabetes.

Looks like he's a Mizuno man now. Went from Nike to Adidas and now Mizuno. Not a bad sponsor, either!

Southie wrote:

2:13 should be reasonable for him. Is Marty Dent still running? Michael Shelly must have the qualifier right?

Shelley ran 2.11 and 2.12 last year and 2.11 in 2014. Next fastest last year was Scott Westcott with a 2.15. Liam Adams ran 2.18 last year but 2.13 in 2014. A couple of others under 2.20. Marty Dent has been focused on trail and mountain races. Aussie marathoning is pretty poor depth wise. 2.33 will get you a top 40 ranking.

Sorry, better quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgRGmpSX1YM