Bekele turns on style to smash record

Olympic champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia yesterday smashed the course record when he cruised to victory in the SPAR Great Ireland Run in Dublin’s Phoenix Park yesterday.

Bekele, who won gold at 5000m and 10,000m in the Beijing Olympics, raced into an early lead and surged clear of his rivals to deliver an impressive performance of controlled front running to finish the 10km in 27 minutes 49 seconds — 46 seconds inside the record set by Australian runner Craig Mottram.

Ayad Lamdassem of Spain finished second in 28:48 and Daniele Meucci of Italy was third in 28:49. Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe Harriers) led the Irish challenge in seventh place (29:23), followed by Thomas Fitzpatrick, (Tallaght AC), in 10th, (30:09) and Barry Minnock, (Rathfarnam/WSAF), (30:32). The three Irish runners won medals in the national championships incorporated in the event.