Dixon’s marathon his ‘first’ attempt

Press, 31 May 1982, Page 3

Dixon’s marathon his ‘first’ attempt

PA Auckland Rod Dixon remains firmly on course for what he hopes will be a sub-2hr Bmin marathon in New York later this year. In winning the Pasta International marathon round the streets of Auckland yesterday morning. Dixon,, in his first, serious attempt at the distance, ran a solid 2hr llmin 21s to beat the top Commonwealth Games hope, Kevin Ryan, by lmin 19s. Blessed with perfect, cool, windless conditions, the race was dominated by the flying Kiwis who had the finish to themselves after shaking off the American, Gary Fanelli, before the half-way peg. Dixon, admitting later to not always feeling “quite 100 per cent,” looked comfortable throughout and edged away from Ryan on the homeward run from St Heliers to the Princes Wharf finish.

Early on, a time of around 2hr lOmin loomed large but after running through the hills and reaching the calm of the waterfront, the pace eased and time, for both Dixon and Ryan, became of secondary importance. Ryan was the aggressor through the first 18 or 19km and was never more than a pace from the front. He towed a large bunch through skm in 15min 34s and reached the 10km mark — which included the uphill drag — only a little slower in 30min 565.

By then the field was in tatters with Dixon, Ryan and Fanelli nicely clear of Trevor Wright, Karel Lismont and Vito Basiliana who, even at that stage were having their problems in avoiding the large bicycle contingent.

Ryan, again as brave as you like and obviously not with quite the big mileage build-up he is'accustomed to, was troubled by leg cramp yet still refused’ to give in. Apart from a couple of anxious moments with the railway lines in Quay Street, Dixon powered to the finish line and almost immediately was wading in the water off the wharf steps in a bid to ease “my aching legs." Behind the first pair the race battled on.

Don Greig, who chased Ryan throughout the Winstone Wiri marathon last November and in so doing claimed a place in the Games team, did the same yesterday to reconfirm his standing. He came through strongly, although he too admitted to cramping, to take third place in 2hr 13min 50s, nearly a minute ahead of Basiliana who was more than half a minute ahead of Lismont with the tiring Fanelli next. Both Dixon and Ryan were pleased with their runs. Dixon was a little concerned as to how it would effect him when he lines up next weekend in a regional final of the Pepsi Cola 10km series in the United States.

“I will need more longer runs before New York," Dixon said. “But I don’t think a time of under 2hr Bmin there is unrealistic. My preparation has not been exactly ideal — I’ve been far too busy this past week.

“While I could, and still, see it as a fast course, I would have been happy to have got away with 2hr 18min today. The crowds played a big part in making it as fast as it was."

Ryan, who will run his next marathon in Brisbane.

said he was. more than happy with his run and added he had gone into the race on the smallest preparation of any of his big marathons. "When I get home I’ll be looking to sweep up the miles and I’m sure I will be ready for the Games. I would really love to win that."

World renowned for his efforts as the “Running Waiter." the American, Roger Bourban, was bitterly disappointed at missing his own record time of 2hr 47min when someone barged out of the crowd and took the bottle from his tray.

“That cost me about three minutes as I chased after him to get it back and then find my pace again," said the dejected Bourban afterwards. "The guy I was running with ran 2hr 45min so I am sure I could have got a personal best."

Undaunted, Bourban was talking of returning next year — “It's a pretty good course you have got here," he said.

The women's section was won by the amazing 45-year-old Robyn Hames who confirmed her standing as the fastest veteran woman in the world with her time of 2hr 44min 375.

But for an unfortunate fall 100 m after the start, she may well have gone considerably faster and even close to her 2hr 40min target as she was left nursing a painful knee, a cut hand, a sore ham string — and a broken watch.

Fifty-year-old Jack Foster ran the fastest time for anyone, anywhere, in the over-50 age group in recording an incredible 2hr 20min 28s, just 28 seconds’ outside his longheld ambition.