Benita Jaye Willis (born 6 May 1979 in Mackay, Queensland) is an Australian long-distance runner, who is a three-time national champion in the women's 5,000 metres. Her foremost achievement is a gold medal in the long race at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships. She has also won team medals at that competition on two occasions. She has competed at the Summer Olympics four times (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) and has twice represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games (2002, 2006).
At the 2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships she won the bronze medal with a time of 1:09:26 hours. In 2004, she won the 8K at the 2004 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and also the women's half marathon title at the Great North Run. She was 24th in the 10,000 metres at the 2004 Olympic Games. At the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships she won her second career medal at the event by coming fourth in the short race and helping the Australian women to the team bronze medal. She set a time of 2:22:36 at the 2006 Chicago Marathon, a new Australian national record and an Oceania area record.iaaf.org - Area Records - Outdoor - Oceania - Women She won the Berlin Half Marathon in 2007 in a personal best time of 1:08.28 hours. Her third international cross country medal came at the 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships as she finished eleventh in the long race to lead Australia to third on the team podium.
She finished third at the 2010 Great Ireland Run, recording a time of 34:28.Fagan and Murray nab 10Km victories in Dublin. IAAF (2010-04-19). Retrieved on 2010-04-24. In spite of a break of over three years without competing over the distance, she was the runner-up at the 2012 Houston Marathon with a time 2:28:24 hours (within the Olympic qualifying standard).Jufar sizzles 2:06:51 as records tumble at Houston Marathon. IAAF (2012-01-16). Retrieved on 2012-01-16.
Willis was a training partner of Australian distance star Craig Mottram.
Achievements Representing 1998World Junior ChampionshipsAnnecy, France7th1500m4:16.752000Olympic GamesSydney, Australia6th (heats)5000 m15:21:37 min2001World Indoor ChampionshipsLisbon, Portugal6th3000 m8:42.75 minWorld ChampionshipsEdmonton, Canada12th5000 m15:36.75 minGoodwill GamesBrisbane, Australia4th5000 m15:22.31 min2002Commonwealth GamesManchester, United Kingdom7th (heats)1500 m4:24.43 min6th5000 m15:26.55 minIAAF World CupMadrid, Spain4th5000 m15:20.83 min2003World Indoor ChampionshipsBirmingham, England7th3000 m8:51.62 minWorld ChampionshipsParis, France8th10,000 m30:37.68 minWorld Half Marathon ChampionshipsVilamoura, Portugal3rdHalf marathon1:09:262004World Cross Country ChampionshipsBrussels, Belgium1stLong race (8 km)27:17Olympic GamesAthens, Greece24th10,000 m32:32.01 min2005World ChampionshipsHelsinki, Finland19th10,000 m31:55.15 min2006World Cross Country ChampionshipsFukuoka, Japan4thShort race (4 km)12:553rdShort team race69 ptsCommonwealth GamesMelbourne, Australia4th10,000 m31:58.08 min2007World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan17th10,000 m32:55.94 min2008World Cross Country ChampionshipsEdinburgh, Scotland11thLong race (7.905 km)25:563rdLong team race84 ptsOlympic GamesBeijing, PR China21stMarathon2:32:062012Olympic GamesLondon, England100thMarathon2:49:38
Circuit wins
Cross country Chiba International Cross Country: 2002, 2003, 2004 Cross de San Sebastián: 2005 Cross Zornotza: 2005 Cinque Mulini: 2005 Lidingöloppet 10K: 2009
Road San Silvestre Vallecana: 2004 Great North Run: 2004 Great South Run: 2004 (First Australian to win) Freihofer's Run for Women: 2006, 2007, 2008 Berlin Half Marathon: 2007 Great Yorkshire Run: 2007 Great Edinburgh Run: 2008
Recognition In 2018, inducted into Australia Hall of Fame. Inaugural inductee to University of Canberra Sport Walk of Fame in 2022.
References
External links Historical Results for World Marathon Majors Athlete Profile for Benita Johnson Interview with Benita Johnson at Fastwomen.com TheFinalSprint.com Podcast interview before running the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon