Iñigo Mujika

Craig Mottram and Victorian Institute of Sport triathlon coach Jonathan Hall (photo: Iñigo Mujika).

He was born in Frankston, Victoria, Australia, on 18 June 1980. He is one of the World’s fastest distance runners, and he is among us, training in Vitoria-Gasteiz along with a group of Australian triathletes in a three-month training camp organised by USP Araba Sport Clinic.

Craig Mottram, known amongst some African runners as the Big Mzungu (Big White Man), won the bronze medal in the 5,000 m at World Championships in Helsinki in 2005, and the silver medal in the same distance at the Commonwealth Games in 2006.

His running times need no comment:

• 1,500 metres 3:33.97 (Zurich, Switzerland, 08/18/2006)
• Mile 3:48.98 (Oslo, Norway, 07/29/2005, Oceanic Record)
• 2,000 metres 4:50.76 (Melbourne, Australia, 03/09/2006, Oceanic Record)
• 3,000 metres 7:32.19 (Athens, Greece, 09/17/2006, Oceanic Record)
• 2 miles 8:03.50 (Eugene, Oregon, 06/10/2007, Oceanic Record)
• 5,000 metres 12:55.76 (London, England, 07/30/2004, Oceanic Record)
• 10,000 metres 27:34.48 (Stanford, United States, 05/04/2008)
• 10 km (road) 27:54 (Manchester, England, 05/23/2004, Oceanic Record)

Craig is a big running star, but he is also a great guy, the kind of person that makes everyone around him at ease. When I asked him if he would agree to be my next guest in the series “Interviews with the elite”, it only took him a couple of seconds to reply “Happy to do it”.

Thank you for that Craig!

If you would like to ask Craig a question, you can do so by writing it down in the comment section of this post before July 31, 2010. I will choose the most relevant questions and pass them on to Craig.