4min 30sec into the race and the field was split into 3 groups. With the pacesetter dropping out, Zsabo took up the frontrunning duties, however there was no injection in pace withthe field going through 3k in 9:03. After 11min of running, Leghzaoui went to the front, injecting the much needed pace into the race. Suprisingly, Yegorova dropped back allowing a gap of 3-4m to open. By 13min Yegorova had pulled herself back.

Zsabo now had a race on her hands. At the bell Abera, Zsabo and Yegorova were shoulder to shoulder with neither giving an inch. At the start of the backstraight Abera shot to the front instantly establsihing daylight between hereslf Zsabo and Yegorova. Zsabo was the first to respond but Abera was gone, but Zsabo was not giving up and she surged to move clear of Yegorova. Coming into the last 100m Zsabo was closing on Abera but did not seem to be making the impression she would have liked to. She switched to go past Abera and the familiar kick was put into action. Abera clung to her task gamely and at one time it did not seem as though Zsabo could get past. Then all of a sudden a gap opened between the two, with Zsabo going away to win in the last 2-3m.

Her winning time was 14:46:86 with Abera 2nd in 14:46.99 and Tatyana Tomashova (Rus) 3rd in 14:47.85. The Golden Girl was back and she was doing what she does best, winning. Abera can go one better and probably will do so soon.

The Women's 1500m race report
The pacesetter took off like a frightened hare going through 400m in 62sec. The rest of the field were 1-2 sec back, however in tow on her shoulder was the Romanian talent Maria Cioncan, winner of last week's European Cup over 1500m.

800m passed in 2:09 and the rest of the field was still off the pace. With the pacesetter dropping out, Cioncan was all on her own. The rest of the field started edging closer and with 300m to go they were making large gains into her lead.

With 200m to go Ciocan was blown away, with the field engulfing her. And then she fights back refusing to lose the race, down the last 100m she is in a fierce battle with her country[wo]man Elena Buhaianu-Iagar. Unbelievably, she wins the race.

Stay with me on this one, this one is going to be great. She has guts, is not scared and is prepared to hurt. She is something special in the making. It has been many a year since I have seen an athlete soundly beaten, caught and passed, claw their way back into contention in the manner she presented herself. Hats off to her, long may we see dazzling performances from Maria Cioncan of Romania. Winning time 4:03, nothing special, but the manner OH BOY.

The Men's 5000m race report
The men's race had a large field assembled with Salah Hissou following the pacesetter from the gun. The time at 1K was 2:34 and the field was yet to settle down. The Kenyans are prominent in the pack.

2K is reached in 5:08 and the pacesetter drops out. The tempo drops slightly to a 2:40K with 3K passed in 7:48. At 3K Hissou is doing the frontrunning, 200m later Sammy Kipketer [Kenya] goes to the front in an attempt to keep the pace honest with countrymen Benjamin Limo lending a helping hand.

With 2 laps to go the time is 10:59, the time at 4Km [10:25]. With 1 lap to go Hissou is near the front but with a furious dash over the last 400m he is pushed into 6th spot with the Kenyans swamping the first 5 positions. The last lap is a furious 55sec contributing to a 1:59 last 800m and a last 1Km of 2:32.

Limo truimphs over Kipketer recording a winning time of 12:57:50 to 12:57:90 with John Kibowen 3rd 12:58:61 and Paul Bitok 4th in 12.58.94. Bitok is a happy man as this is the first time, the Olympic silver medallist in both 1992 and 1996, has dipped under the 13min barrier.

The Men's Mile race report
With a pacesetter pulling Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) through the 1st 400m in 56:44. Noah Ngeny of Kenya was right there, tucked in behind his rival. 800m was reached in 1:55 [59sec lap] with 1200m reached in 2:51. By this time El Guerrouj was in front and on his own, extending his lead over the field. At 1500m [3:33] he was well clear of the field and he went on to win in 3:50:13. Nothing stellar and the challenge of Ngeny faded to nought as he finished in 11th [3:57.39].

Laban Rotich (Ken) came through to take 2nd in 3:51.99 with fellow Kenyan David Kiplak 3rd in 3:52.42. A race that failed to produce the sparkle and we can only look forward to the matchup of El Guerrouj and Lagat over 1500m later in the series

All the Results from Oslo:

Men

100m
1. Dwain Chambers (Gbr) 10.05, 2. Maurice Greene (USA) 10.06, 3. Tim Montgomery (USA) 10.10

400m
1. Leonard Byrd (USA) 45.75, 2. Antonio Pettigrew (USA) 45.78, 3. Fawzi Al Shammari (Kuw) 46.13

400m hurdles
1. Felix Sanchez (Dom) 48.91, 2. Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily (Ara) 49.06, 3. Joey Woody (USA) 49.13

Mile
1. Hicham El Guerrouj (Mar) 3min 50.12sec, 2. Laban Rotich (Ken) 3:51.99, 3. David Kiplak (Ken) 3:52.42

5000m
1. Benjamin Limo (Ken) 12min 57.50sec, 2. Sammy Kipketer (Ken) 12:57.90, 3. John Kibowen (Ken) 12:58.61

Javelin
1. Boris Henry (Ger) 85.42m, 2. Dariusz Trafas (Pol) 85.16, 3. Alexandr Ivanov (Rus) 84.98

High jump
1. Toma Janku (Cze) 2.28m, 2. Stefan Holm (Swe) 2.28, 3. Tora Harris (USA) 2.24

Pole vault
1. Timothy Mack (USA) 5.70m, 2. Jeff Hartwig (USA) 5.70, 3. Vasiliy Gorshkov (Rus) 5.55

Triple jump
1. Jonathan Edwards (Gbr) 17.51m, 2. Christian Olsson (Swe) 17.47, 3. Walter Davis (USA) 17.05

Women

100m
1. Marion Jones (USA) 10.96, 2. Tanya Lawrence (Jam) 11.13, 3. Chryste Gaines (USA) 11.20

100m hurdles
1. Gail Devers (USA) 12.53, 2. Bridgette Foster (Jam) 12.79, 3. Glory Alozie (Spa) 12.85

400m
1. Ana Guevara (Mex) 50.45, 2. Lorraine Fenton (Jam) 50.83, 3. Latasha Colander-Richardson (USA) 51.66

800m
1. Zulia Calatayud (Cub) 2min 00.26sec, 2. Tamsyn Lewis (Aus) 2:00.85, 3. Agnes Samaria (Nam) 2:01.23

1500m
1. Maria Cioncan (Rom) 4:03.55, 2. Elena Buhaianu-Iagar (Rom) 4:03.63, 3. Yelena Zadorozhnaya (Rus) 4:04.09

5000m
1. Gabriela Szabo (Rom) 14:46.86, 2. Berhane Adere (Eth) 14:46.99, 3. Tatyana Tomashova (Rus) 14:47.85

Javelin
1. Osleidys Menendez (Cub) 63.51m, 2. Tatyana Shikolenko (Rus) 62.98, 3. Yekaterina Ivakina (Rus) 61.40

This report from our Time-to-Run contributor

Time-to-Run Track section