Race Ambassador
We are delighted to be joined again by Australian running legend Steve Moneghetti and family Tanya, Matthew and Olivia for the 2024 event.
Moneghetti’s name is synonymous with distance running in Australia, having many years carried the mantle as Australia’s premier distance athlete as a competitor, and in professional retirement continues to inspire the masses to get active and healthy.
Starting out as a 10,000m runner, Mona finished 5th in that event at the 1986 Commonwealth Games with a personal best time of 27:47. He ran his first marathon at the same meet winning the bronze medal. His first marathon victory was in Berlin in 1990 in the time of 2:08:16. In 1991 he set the course record of 40.03 for Sydney’s iconic 14km City 2
Surf which still stands. In 1994 he won the Tokyo marathon and took the Gold medal in the marathon at the Commonwealth Games. He came 3rd in the 1997 World Championships marathon race. He also competed in the marathon at four Olympic Games; 2000 in Sydney, 1996 in Atlanta, 1992 in Barcelona and 1998 in Seoul. His best performance in the Olympics was 5th place at Seoul and has personal best times of Half Marathon 60:06, 6,000m 16:10 and 5,000m 13:25.
Mona has three times held the world record over a half marathon in 1990 (60.34), 1992 (60.27) and 1993 (60.06). He also still holds the record for the 6km Ballarat ‘Lap of The Lake’ in a time of 16.10.
He lit the cauldron in his hometown of Ballarat to celebrate the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He was the Mayor of the Commonwealth Games Village at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006.
In 2010 he was named as the Australian team’s chief de mission for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India AND was the 2018 Chief De Mission for the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast!
Steve is a big part of the Surf T Surf and we appreciate his ongoing support.