Veterans muster for titles

Press, 2 January 1981, Page 3

Veterans muster for titles

PA Palmerston North An 81-year-old American doctor, running for the United States Masters team, is the oldest competitor in the International Association of Veteran Distance Runners’ fourteenth world race championships in Palmerston North this week-end. Dr Paul Spangler, born last century, has entered both the 10km and the 25km events, which will be held on Saturday and Sunday. He is joined in the 80-cat-egory for the 10km race h,y an 80-year-old, from Palmerston North, John Turner. Turner took the title of oldest New Zealand runner from Mrs Thelma Pitt-Turn-er, aged 77, also of the Ashhurst Club, who is the second oldest woman to enter the championships. The oldest woman is another American, 79-year-old Ruth Rothfarb. Two other Americans make up the women’s 70-category — Bess James, aged 71, and Marilla Salisbury, aged 73. Two New Zealanders, John Robinson (Manurewa) and Roger Robinson (Wellington), who are not related, must start among the favourites for the two events.

John Robinson was run-ner-up in the marathon at Scotland in the thirteenth annual championships, and was the winner of the W.A.V.A. marathon in Hanover last year.. He will be difficult to beat in the 25km event.

Roger Robinson is the current 10km title holder, an event he won by a wide margin in Scotland. He was the first veteran home in the New York marathon in 2 hours 22 minutes, a commendable effort in his first marathon attempt. A determined lead-up will make him a strong defender of the title. Other New Zealanders from the male 40-group, where the winner should come -from, likely to be strong challengers are Keith Pearce (Auckland), who has held national veteran crosscountry titles; Barry Everitt (Wellington), a national rep-

resentative at cross-country; and Tom Verney (Stratford), the West Coast (North Island) veteran champion. Overseas entrants from this group worth watching will be George Blackbum (Ireland), Pierre Voets (Belgium), and Huub Coumans (the Netherlands). One of New Zealand’s greatest runners at various Olympic and Commonwealth games, Jeff Julian, is the pick of the male-45-category, along with Scotland’s Owen Flaherty. . In the male-50-section, a strong Canadian influence is provided by Gordon Gilmour, James Morrow and

Danny Daniels. New Zealand’s hopes rest on Derek Turnbull (Invercargill), the world track holder in the 1500 metres and the 5000 metres, Stan Gawler (Rotorua) and George Gibson (Auckland). The Puerto Rican, Luis Torres, is another strong contender. A “grudge” match highlights the male 55-group, with a vice president of 1.G.A.L., Jacques Serruys (Belgium), up against the world president of W.A.V.A., Don Farquharson (Canada). A former Palmerston North runner, Basil Nielsen, who settled in England after World War 11, is also included, along with the wellperformed New Zealander, Garnet Nelson (Wellington),

Clive Southwick (Hamilton) and Walter Vine (Owairaka).

The New Zealand co-or-dinator for veteran runners, Clem Green (Wellington) is in the male 60-section, along with some powerful'Australians, including John Gilmour. An interesting entry in the male 65 category is Andrew Forbes (Scotland), who came second to Harold Nelson in the six-mile at the Empire Games in Auckland in 1950. The Japanese begin to make their appearance in these older groups. They are all members of the Japan Turtle Association, with their emblem being one of nature’s slowest creatures. Another vice-president of 1.G.A.L., Bryan Doughty (Islei

of Man) appears with the male 70s, along with Jim Jamieson (Owairaka), who has had considerable success in veteran marathons. Heading the women is one of New Zealand’s unluckiest runners, Sylvia Potts. She is the national representative who fell one metre from the line while leading the 1500 metres at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh in 1970. Another superb athlete is Wanganui’s Bev Shingles, who grabbed her finest victory in the inaugural women’s marathon in Los Angeles last year. The English runner, Yvonne Miles, was prominent in Glasgow and should be a hard competitor.