Record Marathon Time

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31543, 4 December 1967, Page 24

Record Marathon Time

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) TOKYO. The 25-year-old Australian, D. Clayton, recorded the world best marathon time of 2hr 9min 6sec to win the second international race held over the 26-mile 385-yard course in ' Fukuoka, southern Japan, yesterday. The previous world best time of 2hr 12min 11.2 sec was set by Bikila Abebe (Ethi-

opia) during the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. The second place went to S. Sasaki (Japan) and third was the New Zealander, D. C. McKenzie, who won this year’s Boston marathon. Sasaki also bettered the previous world best time, with 2hr llmin 17sec, and McKenzie’s time was 2br 12min 25.8 sec.

T. Futsuhara (Japan), 2:14:40, was fourth, and J. Alder (Britain), winner of last year’s Commonwealth Games marathon, 2:14:44.8, was fifth.

Clayton and the other New Zealander, M. R. Ryan, started at a surprisingly fast pace

ahead of a field of 82 runners, but Ryan faded before the halfway mark and it developed Into a duel between Clayton and Sasaki, who caught the Australian after three-quarters of the race. They ran stride-for-stride for several kilometres until Sasaki developed pains in the abdomen. Clayton continued to maintain his gruelling pace and within five miles of the finish was 150 yards ahead of Sasaki. At the end he had opened, his lead to 400 yards. The defending champion, Ryan, finished ninth in 2hr 15min 41sec. He won the event last year with a record time of 2hr 14min 4.6 sec.