Rod Dixon snatches half-marathon record

Press, 23 September 1980, Page 30

Rod Dixon snatches half-marathon record

NZPA Washington Rod Dixon continued on his winning way on the American road racing scene with a record-break-ing half-marathon at Philadelphia yesterday. Dixon clocked 1 hour 3 minutes 30 seconds to win the 13.1 mile event, knocking Imin 24s off the course record set by Finland’s Olympic gold medallist, Lasse Viren, last year. Dixon was delighted with his performance: “I now know I have great versatility,” he said last evening. “It was one of the most pleasing runs I have ever had.” Bubbling over with his

i success, which comes after i a string of 10,000 metre > wins since he made his ’ debut on the road in the ■ United States in June, ; Dixon said: “I think this will be my best-ever year ! as an athlete. I don’t • know, I’m beginning to , wonder if I have been > wasting my time on the . track all these years.” [ Analysing his split , times later, Dixon said: “Though I say it myself, I ! ran a brilliant race, with [ even times throughout.” t He was with a bunch of t five from the start, and f began spurts to leave the [ rest after the first two miles. After four miles he i forged well ahead, even-

tually winning by more than three minutes. Dixon gave his split times as follows: one mile, 4.54; three miles, 14.36; six miles, 29.11; 10 miles 48.42. He covered the last mile in about 4.45. He plans to run a 10,000 metres in Purchase, New York, on October 4 - which could be the first in a new International Amateur Athletics Federation approved grand prix series of road races offering prize money — and then return home to New Zealand. “My movements after that will depend on the grand prix programme,” he said last evening.