Talented field for marathon

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 30

Talented field for marathon

Six of New Zealand’s top 20 marathon runners will start in the Adidas City of Christchurch marathon on Sunday. The national ranking list for May shows them in the following order: Don Greig, 2h 15min 295, 6; Tom Birnie, 2:18:23, 9; Alan Sinclair, 2:19:41, 11; Richard Verney (Taranaki), 2:20:00, 13; Grant McEwen, 2:21:30, 16; and Bernie Walker (Auckland) 2:21:53, 17.

Apart from these six, the field also has at least three runners who are leading provincial competitors at distances shorter than the marathon and who are having only their first or second attempt at the distance. They are Chip Dunckley (Otago), Chris Tobin (Timaru) and Steve Hunt (Wellington). It was previously reported that Sinclair and Birnie had withdrawn because they had accepted invitations to compete in a marathon in Australia. But they have since confirmed that they will run in Christ-

church. The Australian race has, however, attracted the top woman competitor, Ngaire Drake (Wellington), and the tenth-ranked marathon runner, Barry Thompson (Hawke’s Bay). Only three of the top 25 women have entered the women’s section of the marathon. They are Bev Blair (Taranaki), 2:53:54, 17; Bernadine Portenski (Wellington), 3:00:06, 22; and Jenny Hughes (Otago), 3:00:29, 23. Strong competition for these runners should come from a Wellington representative, Tina Wild, the Canterbury pair, Janine Tyler and Prue Taylor, and Sue Ritchie (Wellington), who might only run in the half marathon.

The organisers of the marathon are appealing for volunteers to help with marshalling, manning the aid stations and other jobs at the Queen Elizabeth II Park stadium from 9 a.m. on Sunday. Volunteers should contact Dinah Hewitson, phone 228-819.