Marathon to Foster

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34097, 8 March 1976, Page 7

Marathon to Foster

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ROD DEW

AUCKLAND. Jack Foster. the amazing 43-year-old veteran from Waikato, won his first New Zealand marathon title on an undulating out-and-home course from Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday—in spite of taking a wrong turning a few miles short of the finish. A traffic officer on a motor-cycle who had been acting as an escort turned off the course and Foster followed him. He quickly realised his mistake but it reduced his lead over the

’Canterbury pair, Tony Good and Kevin Hamilton, by about 100 metres. In spite of this, Foster recorded the world-class time of 2hr, 16niin 27sec. Hamilton and Good reached the stadium together but Good: .then produced a withering sprint over the final 400 metres of the Tartan track to claim second place in another tine time of• 2m in 17.065ec. Hamilton, who had resisted the temptation to retire some five miles from the finish when he suffered severe pains ' from a pinched nerve in his spine recorded 2min 17.245ec. Good, w’ho with Foster must, now be considered as Olympic i 1 team prospects, later said that I'he was ‘‘pretty happy’’ with his . performance, although he would I have liked an even faster time.. r “I wasn’t feeling too happy early' ..on." he said. Foster, running in his first! marathon this year, led practic- ? ally all the way much of the

distance at smin-mile pace. But he later had some harsh words for the organisers. "That was not the best-organised road race I have run in," he said, indicating that the course was not properly manned. “There was traffic everywhere, too." Two other Olympic contenders, j Mike Ryan (Auckland) and Terry Manner (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay*, both failed to finish the (course. Ryan, who had earlier indicated that he was running ‘with a leg injury, pulled out 'after 14 miles while in fifth place and Manners, second for the first half of the distance, retired at ' 18 miles. Results were: J. Foster (Waikato), 2:16.27, 1. • A Good (Canterbury), 2:17.06. 2; K. Hamilton (Canterbury*. 2:17.24. 3; B. Vine (Auckland). 2:23.24. 4; • W. Smith (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay). 2:25.09. 5: C. Hicks (Canterbury), 2:25.50. 6; J. Julian (Auckland). 2:27.55, 7; C. Creagh (Canterbury). 2:29.07. 8; D Warden (Auckland). 2:32.34. 9; P. Corbett (West Coast North ■ Island). 2:36.18. 10.