Kimberley Smith continued her amazing run on the European track running circuit, smashing the New Zealand 3000m record with a time of 8m 35.31s in Monaco last evening.

The 25 year old Aucklander carved a full ten seconds off Anne Audain's national record of 8m 45.53s set in winning the gold medal at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games.

Smith finished third in the IAAF Super Grand Prix race in Herculis, won by Mariem Selsouli of Morocco in 8m 29.52s. Jennifer Rhines of USA was second in 8m 35.03s.

Smith, who broke her own New Zealand 5000m record two weeks ago in Rome, also had the satisfaction of setting an Oceania 3000m record breaking Australian Benita Johnson's time of 8m 38.06s set in Gateshead in 2003.

Smith will now travel back to the States to prepare for the World Championships in Osaka where she is likely to opt for the 10,000m to be run on 25 August.