Foster enters Nike event

Press, 9 May 1981, Page 64

Foster enters Nike event

Two of New Zealand's most experienced and accomplished distance runners. Jack Foster, of Rotorua, and Gerald Dravitzki, of New Plymouth, yesterday confirmed their entries for the Nike City of Christchurch international marathon on May 31. Foster, a former New Zealand champion and a marathon medallist at the Christchurch Commonwealth Games, has fully recovered from the blistered foot which forced him to withdraw from the recent Fletcher Marathon, and is hoping for a fast time. He is looking forward with enthusiasm to running in the Christchurch event because the out and home course from Queen Elizabeth II Park is the same as the one on which he ran so well at the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Dravitzki, who won the important Fletcher marathon in Rotorua last year in a brisk two hours 21 minutes, was unable to defend his title this year because of influenza. However, the vast amount of preparation he did for the Fletcher event is

certain to stand him in gooc stead in Christchurch.

Although aged 38. and with 20 years of competition behind him. Dravitzki is probably in the best shape of his career. He has often shunned the limelight, preferring tc run only in events he enjoys. He turned down an invitation to represent New’ Zealand in an international marathon at Vancouver last year, and he jokingly refers to himself as “the king of the funrunners.” Another leading national figure entered is the 1979 New Zealand marathon champion. Tony Good, of Christchurch, who will aim to make the Nike event a stepping stone to the Brisbane Commonwealth Games next year. Entries for the Christchurch marathon do not close until tomorrow, but already the Long Distance Runners’ Club of New Zealand has received more than 1000.

“We are very pleased,” one of the organisers. Mr Rod Rutherford, said yesterday. “We should end up with at least 1500 entries, the figure we originally aimed for.”