33 start marathon, 10 drop out

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 18

33 start marathon, 10 drop out

There were 33 starters in the Commonwealth Games marathon, held through the streets of Christchurch last evening. However, in spite of the cool temperatures. 10 failed to finish the course.

Uganda’s Musa Mustafa collapsed midway through the event and was carried off by stretcher in a distressed condition to the medical centre. The honour of leading the field out the gates of Queen Elizabeth II Park went to Amani Tapusoa, of Western Samoa. However, he was soon ■.wallowed up by the main bunch and quickly dropped right out of contention. After five miles, the lead-' ing bunch consisted of 14 j runners with Thompson, Clay-j ton, James Oscaro (Kenya),' Foster, Farrington and Lachie Stewart (Scotland), all i prominent. BIG BUNCH At about nine miles, the big bunch started to break up. This left Foster, Drayton, Thompson, Bernard Plain (Wales), Manners and; Mabuza in the leading group, i Mabuza caused some confu-

• |sion by wearing the number (of his team-mate, Reuben Dlamini, and the race was well advanced before his cor- ( rect identity was discovered. I Half-way down Memorial( Avenue, Thompson and Fos-j ter broke away, leaving Mabuza third and Manners (fourth. Soon afterwards, at 'lO miles, Thompson started (to make a break on Foster. (This was to prove the decisive moment of the race. “Once I had made the break, I got a sort of an urge inside me and I thought I might win.”

At the turn at the airport roundabout, Thompson was 100 yd clear of Foster who was in turn 50yd ahead of Mabuza. Then came Drayton and Farrington, another gap back to Manners and then Plain.

RUNNING EASILY At this stage, Farrington was still running easily and very optimistic. “Don’t (worry. We’re catching ’em I up,” he shouted as the truck carrying reporters drove past. On the return journey, ' Thompson was magnificent. He maintained his tremendous pace of less than smin; for each mile and gradually(increased his lead. Foster| kept well clear of Mabuza; whose main concern in the; sclosing stages was the danger! presented by the fast-finishin-' ing Manners. Mabuza entered the ist-.Jium only 30yd ahead of the New Zealander, who strained mightily to close the (gap in the final 400 metres (around the Chevron track. (Foster, a grey blanket; wrapped around him for warmth, found enough energy to race across the infield to I urge his team-mate on. But; (in the end. Manners could not quite close the gap and Mabuza took the bronze medal by 4sec.

NOT TO PLAN Thompson, who prepared (for the race on a diet of carbohydrates, said later that he had not run the race to plan. He had intended to stay with the leaders for 22 miles and then try and out-finish them. His original schedule had been for a time of 2hr lOmin. Now he is turning his

attention to the European championship in September and is keen to compete in the Olympic marathon at Montreal in two years time.