Marathon ‘victory’ sparks controversy

Press, 24 April 1980, Page 32

Marathon ‘victory’ sparks controversy

NZPA-Reuter New. York After Bill Rodger’s fourth Boston Marathon win on Monday he sat before the bright lights and cameras wearing the victor’s laurel wreath and turned to the woman sitting next to him. “Did you win?” Rodgers asked her. “Yes,” she said. “Who are you?” he Her name was Rosie Ruiz, No. 50, and she also wore a wreath, presented by the wife of Boston’s

Mayor after she crossed te finish line when the clock had ticked at 2 hours 31 minutes 56 seconds, a women’s record in the race. The time was the third fastest that a woman had ever run 26 miles, 385 yards. Or was it? There was no evidence that Miss Ruiz had or had not run the entire course, because the leading women vyere not recorded at the six checkpoints. Miss Ruiz stumbled across the finish line in 147th place over all, while

Jacqueline Garcau, of Montreal, who finished in 2:34.27, was the 203rd to cross the line. When she finished, Miss Garcau thought she had won. Patti Lyons, of West Roxbury, Massachusetts, thought she had finished second. Miss Lyons said that the first time she saw Miss Ruiz was when the New Yorker was sitting in the lights, with a wreath on her head. Miss Ruiz said she had passed Miss Garreau at t h e-nine-mile point, dropped back and passed

her again at a later point. “I didn’t know I was the first woman until 1 crossed the finish line,” Miss Ruiz said. Had she expected to win? “I expected to finish,” she said. “I think this is all a dream.” In her only other maraton Miss Ruiz ran the New York marathon course in 2:56.29 last October, placing 663rd over all and 24th among the women. Although Miss Ruiz, could not be reached, her employer and fellow run-

ner, John Emptage said: “I just can’t conceive of Rosie not running the full distance. She’s been training more than 100 miles a week. Someone who walks around the office with weights on her feet has to be serious.” According to Christchurch’s Don Greig, who took part in the race last year, it is possible that Miss Ruiz finished in that time. If Miss Ruiz had run the New York marathon in 2:56.29 last October and she had been training very

hard since, then it was just possible she had run 2:31.56, Greig said last evening. She could have passed ; Miss Jacqueline Garcau, of i, Montreal, who came second, without being noticed as she had short hair and there may have been other runners close by, he said. However, there was still room for suspicion, and if he had been second and had not noticed being passed he would have questioned the win, Greig said.