Kiwi Smith running hot

Kimberley Smith is running like the wind but only the knowledgeable know who she is.

In an increasingly extraordinary story Smith smashed Anne Audain's 25-year-old New Zealand 3000m record in Monaco last week, just a few days after slashing 7s off her own national 5000m mark.

The United States-based 25-year-old now holds the national 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m records but strangely, only a handful of Kiwis would recognise her.

Smith told The Dominion Post from Providence (Rhode Island) yesterday that her low profile did not concern her because her career was rocking along with a Reebok sponsorship and in 16 days she heads to the world championships in Osaka.

"I guess it is hard for people to know me well because I don't live in New Zealand and I haven't lived there for five years," she said.

"It doesn't bother me too much. I live here for most of the year and I understand track and field is not that big back in New Zealand."

The former Kings College (Auckland) running star went to Louisiana in 2000 but found life lonely as an 18-year-old and returned home for a year before being offered a running scholarship at Providence College.

She graduated in 2005 with a social science degree but chose to remain in Providence and last September bought a house there.

In the past fortnight she has run second in Rome, over 5000m in 14min 49.41s, and third in Monaco, over 3000m in 8min 35.31s in which she went a staggering 10s inside Audain's winning time at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.

Smith admits her form has significantly boosted her confidence heading into the world championships in Japan, where she will compete in the 10,000m on August 25.

"Last year was not a great year with injuries so I've done another year's training and so far it's gone pretty well," she said.

"To place in the grand prix meets is pretty tough. I would not have thought I would be doing that last year so it has been good.

"I pretty much knew I was going to go under the record. I ran a 5km in Rome the other day and I went through the 3km mark at the old record time and felt comfortable so it didn't surprise me. It was more a matter of how much I went under it by."

Smith is shooting for a "top eight or 10" finish in Osaka despite her personal best being only 31min 20s.

"I did that in a race in Stanford in May but I wasn't fit then and I'm in much better shape now," she said.

"I'm not sure how fast I'll go in Japan because it will be very hot. It won't be good conditions to run fast but the 10km suits me and I like it."

- © Fairfax NZ News