Walker thrilled with run

Press, 2 July 1984, Page 22

Walker thrilled with run

PA Auckland The former world mile re-cord-holder, John Walker, clocked at three minutes 54.4 seconds over that distance at East Coast Bays Stadium on Saturday and said later he was thrilled at his time.

“To run that off an 80-mile week is brilliant,” said Walker, who last night left Auckland for the United States with other members of New Zealand’s track and field team. “I am still keeping up the miles. I am still doing a twq-hour run every week and can still man-

age a time like that.

“I will get on the plane tonight confident that everything is going to plan. I will have at least three, possibly four, races before the Olym--sics. The big test will come on uly 21 when I run against some pretty good runners in Eugene over 5000 m. That will obviously be the decider as to which race I will run in Los Angeles.”

After winning the Owairaka 10-mile road race a month ago, Walker said he wanted to be “in 3m 54s shape” before leaving for the Olympics.

He achieved that target in front of a modest North Shore crowd.

Walker coasted through three laps in 2m 58sec. before storming the last quarter in just over 56sec.

Tony Rogers (Waikato) selected for the 1500 m in Los Angeles recorded a personal best of 3m 56sec—his first time under 3m 57sec for the mile.

Peter Renner (Canterbury) raced strongly to record 4m 3sec. to equal his previous best

Rogers said he was "rapt” with his run.