Athletics: Blincoe sets 3000m personal best at Rieti

New Zealand athlete Adrian Blincoe set a personal best time in the 3000m while finishing ninth at the world challenge meeting in Rieti, Italy overnight.

Blincoe clocked seven minutes, 46.38 seconds, impriving on the time of 7min 46.38sec he notched in Zagreb in July 2005.

The race was won by Tariku Bekele of Ethiopia in 7min 28.70sec from American Bernard Lagat and Edwin Cheruiyot Soi of Kenya.

John Walker holds the New Zealand national record of 7min 37.49sec set in London in 1982.