Temporarily Retired

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32220, 12 February 1970, Page 15

Temporarily Retired

J. D. Macdonald, the 36-year-old Canterbury steeplechase champion in 10 of the last 12 title meetings, has temporarily retired from athletics. Family sickness and the increased difficulty of training have forced him to make this decision. “I will not be running again on the track this season. Perhaps I will have an occasional race in the har-; rier season, and I hope when the sickness at home is cleared up that; I can run again in com-; petition,” he said. But he will still be running i between seven and 12 j miles a day. “I have been: running much better since I decided to stop; racing. The strain is not there and I am running: only at a six-minute mile pace.” he added. Macdonald’s career spans 20 years and his performances became better each year. He was the most versatile track athlete in Canterbury—in those years, recording times from imin Msec in the half-mile at the

-I age of 24 to a mile in 4min 7.ssec at the age of; 1’ 31. I, ' His greatest dominance was ; 1 in the steeplechase, in < which he lost only once f in 11 starts—this year t against the youngeri( J athletes. J. Sheddan and t W. Lambert. it i Since 1959. he had in the steeplechase and; J won each time, except inU 1962 when he won the,* mile instead. |t ! v His performance in national' ■i championships have p never matched his dom- c inance in Canterbury, although his times in some . years would have won ‘ him the New Zealand r title- c Macdonald holds the Canterbury record for the 3000ip metres steeplechase at f 9min s.9sec and it has only been challenged by p him since he set it in 1965. ; jj To mark his outstanding p achievement in steeplechase victories, the Can- ti bury centre has decided tl to present him with ajtl memento to recall his 10 u victories. , w