The Great Australian Run is an annual 15 kilometres

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ...

race which normally takes place in November in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, Australia. First held in 2008, it is an international version of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

-based

Great Run series Great Run is a series of road running events around the United Kingdom, which includes the Great North Run. Great Run is a part of The Great Run Company, which was launched by retired athlete Brendan Foster. The group specialises in road running e ...

. The race featured over 4000 competitors at its inaugural edition, and also succeeded in attracting high-calibre elite athletes such as marathon world record breakers

Haile Gebrselassie Haile Gebrselassie ( am, ኀይሌ ገብረ ሥላሴ, ''haylē gebre silassē''; born 18 April 1973) is an Ethiopian retired long-distance track, road running athlete, and businessman. He won two Olympic gold medals and four World Champion ...

and

Catherine Ndereba Catherine Nyambura Ndereba (born 21 July 1972) is a Kenyan marathon runner. She has twice won the marathon at the World Championships in Athletics and won silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008. She is ...

, as well as Australian 2008 Olympians

Craig Mottram Craig Mottram (born 18 June 1980) is a former Australian long and middle-distance runner who specialised in the 5000 meter event. Early years Mottram was born on 18 June 1980 in Frankston, Victoria. He attended Geelong Grammar School. Car ...

and Benita Johnson. The competition is broadcast live on Channel Ten. A complementary 10 km

wheelchair race Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and partially sighted (when combined with another ...

first took place at the 2009 competition. The course of the race, which passes the IAAF's

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

standards,About the Race
. Great Australian Run. Retrieved 2009-11-18. begins and ends in Albert Park and passes many of Melbourne's touristic landmarks, including the

Yarra River The Yarra River or historically, the Yarra Yarra River, ( Kulin languages: ''Berrern'', ''Birr-arrung'', ''Bay-ray-rung'', ''Birarang'', ''Birrarung'', and ''Wongete'') is a perennial river in south-central Victoria, Australia. The lower s ...

and

Flinders Street station Flinders Street railway station is a train station located on the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets in the central business district (CBD) of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Opened in 1854, the historic station serves the entire metr ...

. The course, which follows a double-looped circuit style, heads north from Albert Park before switching back in a south-easterly direction through the Royal Botanic Gardens. It passes the Fawkner Park as it heads further south, and finally turns back northwards to complete the circuit in Albert Park. The race has also served as the Australian

championships, with

Collis Birmingham Collis Birmingham (born 27 December 1984) is an Australian middle- and long distance runner. He is a two-time participant at the Summer Olympics (2008 and 2012) and four-times at the World Championships in Athletics (2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015) ...

and Nikki Chapple taking the national titles in 2009.Johnson, Len (29 November 2009)
Weidlinger upstages Wanjiru in Melbourne
IAAF. Retrieved 2009-11-29. In 2011, it was renamed City2Bay and took place 9 January 2011. The new course started from

Docklands Stadium Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was ...

and ended in St Kilda.

Past winners

Key:

References

External links

Official websiteGreat Run – UK websiteCity2Bay website
{{Great Run Series Athletics competitions in Australia 15K runs Sports competitions in Melbourne Recurring sporting events established in 2008 2008 establishments in Australia Annual sporting events in Australia Running in Australia