Athletics: Kiwi second in Great Australian race

MELBOURNE - Ethiopian distance running superstar Haile Gebrselassie won the inaugural 15km Great Australian Run on Sunday in a time of 42 minutes and 40 seconds.

Gebrselassie, who has struggled with jetlag since arriving in Melbourne from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on Friday morning, broke clear of Kenyan Patrick Makau with 4km to run.

Makau was second in 43:15, while Collis Birmingham overtook fellow Australian Craig Mottram in the closing stages to claim third place in 43:35.

Mottram was fourth in 44:08 in the road race held in Melbourne's inner southern suburbs.

Beijing Olympic marathon silver medallist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya won the women's race in 50:43.

New Zealand's Alice Mason was second in 51:27 and Australian Lisa-Jane Weightman was third in 51:31.

- AAP