MIDFIELDER Sam Gibson has reaffirmed his status as North Melbourne’s – and perhaps the AFL’s – most elite runner by dominating the club’s first 2km time trial at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park on Thursday.

The 28-year-old was an early bolter along with emerging tall Mason Wood and midfielder Ryan Bastinac.

Gibson, though, proved far superior and opened a significant gap on his nearest rivals to record a near personal best time.

Bastinac and Wood finished second and third respectively.

While Gibson admitted to some pre-race nerves, overall he was pleased with his run.

“You try and not let it affect you as much as you can, but one of the guys was joking before the race – you’re more nervous now than you are before the preliminary final,” Gibson told NMFC.com.au after the time trial.

“It’s a bit irrational but you never really know where you’re at until you get the first one out of the way, and to run an OK time is pretty good.”

Running in a second group, midfielder Trent Dumont dominated.

Senior coach Brad Scott said most of the players had recorded “around their best times” and had “come back in good shape” from their holidays.

Scott said the club wants to spend the majority of its pre-season campaign in Melbourne following a scaled-back training camp in Utah last month.

“The vast majority of our group will stay here this year,” Scott told media.

“We feel that a lot of the hard work has been done over the last five years to getting the majority of our group up to speed in a conditioning sense.

“The main ingredient this time of year, regardless of the location of where you train, is just getting the hard work done.

“We feel in the Melbourne summer that we’ll be able to get the hard work done in some pretty trying conditions.”