Unhappy day for Dixon, Roe

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 3

Unhappy day for Dixon, Roe

NZPA Lynchburg Americans Jon Sinclair and Maureen Custy succeeded New Zealanders Rod Dixon and Anne Audain as the winners of the Virginia Ten-Miler on Saturday.

Sinclair, seeded second, was the first home of nearly 3000 starters, covering the 16km in 47min 34sec, slower than Dixon’s record of 46:50, but 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up, Sam Ngatia of Kenya.

A calf injury prevented Dixon from attempting his third straight victory in the event. He watched Sinclair win from a VIP truck.

The big news among the women was not so much that Custy won, although she was an unknown, but that Allison Roe of New Zealand dropped out.

Roe, the world , record holder in the marathon, withdrew from the race after about 6.4 km, with back spasms and stomach cramps. She was not hindered by a hamstring injury that had concerned her before the race.

But even if Roe had not pulled out, it still might have been Custy’s day. She moved in front at 3.2 km, lengthened her lead throughout the race and won by almost a minute from the third seed, Eleanor Simonsick,' with a time of 56:19.4. Custy finished 93rd over all.