Hamilton marathon to American

Press, 25 October 1982, Page 26

Hamilton marathon to American

PA Hamilton An American, Rick Sayre, easily won the Mannings •international marathon in Hamilton yesterday. However, after appearing to be on target for a fast time as he ran on his own for much of the way, cold winds and hail storms almost beat him on the last of four laps of the 10.3 kilometre road circuit. Sayre, aged 29. of Ashland,

Oregon, clocked 2hrs 19 min. 56.67 s in winning by just over 2 min. 40s from Chris Pilone (Owairaka). Bruce Blair (Manurewa) gave Pilone a great race for second, finishing less than 13 seconds behind him. The saddest story of the race, however, which attracted just over 1440 starters, was that of Australian Graham Clews. A brother-in-law of Commonwealth Games gold

medallist, Robert De Castella, Clews snatched second place from Pilone on the final lap only to take a wrong turn near the finish. Instead of turning off into Porritt Stadium for the finish, Clews started a fifth lap by mistake and missed out of finishing. The women’s section provided the biggest upset with little known runner Ngaire Drake of Wellington

Marathon Clinic who cut five minutes off her personal best time to win in 2hrs 42 min. 14.825. Drake, who took up marathon running when living in Australia, beat race favourite, Judith Hine, of New Plymouth, by the length of the Porritt Stadium track straight. Wendy McFall (Hamilton Harriers) was the third to finish.