| Background
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"Mona", as Steve Moneghetti is affectionately known, grew up in Ballarat, a small Australian city in the state of Victoria, where he still lives today.
Mona’s marathon debut at the Commonwealth Games in 1986 set the tone for what has become a long and illustrious career - he took the Bronze Medal.
In the decade since then, Mona has been one of the world’s most consistent marathoners. He was fourth in the World Championship in 1987; fifth in the Olympics in 1988; second in London in 1989; silver medallist in the Commonwealth Games in 1990; first in Berlin in 1990; second in 1993 then first in the 1994 Tokyo Marathon; gold medallist in the Commonwealth Games in 1994; second in London in 1995; eighth in the World Championships in 1995, seventh in the Olympics in 1996; sixth in London in 1997; bronze medallist in the World Championships in 1997 and ninth in London in 1998.
All told, Mona has had four sub 2:09 Marathons, with a best of 2:08:16, set winning Berlin in 1990.
Away from the marathon, Mona is a former record holder at the half marathon (at Tokyo in 1993) and claimed a gutsy Bronze medal over 10,000m at 1998 Commonwealth Games, despite a nagging knee injury that he finally had operate on later that year.
Mona is married with four children, works part-time in Ballarat as an education consultant, and is now coaching himself – recently one of his athletes ran 13:14 for 5000m to break an Australian record that had stood for more than twenty years.
Mona placed seventh in the 2000 Tokyo International Marathon, indicating a full recovery from his 1998 knee surgery, and securing a spot on the Australian Olympic Team for an amazing fourth time. In the Sydney Olympic Marathon, Mona came from well back at half way to an honorable tenth place finish, that was greeted with a standing ovation by the capacity crowd. Immediately following the race, Mona announced his retirement from international competition, but he has remained most active in his retirement, winning the 2003 Australian Cross Country title at 41 years of age, and posting some of the world's fastest track performances by a masters athlete, including a 28:33 10000m performance.
1996 & 1986 World Universiade Cross Country Champion
1986 Commonwealth Games Marathon, Bronze Medal
1987 World Championships Marathon, Fourth
1988 Olympic Games Marathon, Fifth
1989 World Cross Country Championships, Fourth
1989 London Marathon, Second (2:09:06)
1990 Commonwealth Games Marathon, Silver Medal
1990 Great North Run Half Marathon Champion
1990 Berlin Marathon Champion (2:08:16) PR
1992 Tokyo Half Marathon Champion
1993 Tokyo Half Marathon Champion WR
1993 Tokyo International Marathon, Second
1993 World Half Marathon Championships, Silver Medal
1994 Tokyo International Marathon, Champion (2:08:55)
1994 Commonwealth Games Marathon, Gold Medal
1995 London Marathon, Second (2:08:33)
1995 IAAF World Marathon Championships, Eighth
1996 Olympic Marathon, Seventh
1997 London Marathon, Sixth (2:08:45)
1997 IAAF World Championships, Marathon, Bronze Medal
1998 Chiba International Cross Country, Third
1998 London Marathon, Ninth
1998 Commonwealth Games 10000m Bronze Medal
2000 Tokyo International Marathon, Seventh (2:10:00)
2000 Sydney Olympic Games Marathon, Tenth
2003 Australian Cross Country Champion
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