Mottram gives Tigers a tanning
22 December 2006
Herald-Sun
Michael Stevens
RICHMOND'S Cam Howat tried to kick with running maestro Craig Mottram around The Tan yesterday.
However the 21-year-old, who played five games this season after being promoted off the rookie list, lasted about 200m before succumbing to the relentless pressure.
Howat, however, was still the best of the Tigers around the 3.8km Botanical Gardens circuit.
Mottram, who has been working out in the club's gym, gave the players about two minutes start and ran a sizzling 10min 8sec to beat them comprehensively.
Howat's time was 13min 8sec, just behind Tasmanian world junior and senior orienteering champion Hanny Allston, 20, who registered 13:03.
Champion Irish distance runner Sonia O'Sullivan started with the main group and beat the footballers on her merits, recording around 12min 50sec.
Tigers coach Terry Wallace said he was glad his players had the opportunity to run against one of the world's best.
"To be honest, it was bloody fantastic to watch," Wallace said. "Craig has done the best time ever on the Tan (beating his previous best of 10:11sec), and he went past our blokes like they were stopped.
"He's caught the first of the young boys at the top of the (Anderson St) hill, and he grabbed the core of the group, including our better runners, by the Shrine.
"And then Cam Howat, who's our best at the moment, tried to kick with him, and lasted probably 200m and then died."
Wallace said Mottram then spoke to players about pushing themselves to the limit.
"He spoke to them about how they should be running and what they should be doing," Wallace said.
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