‘Runner’ rankings

Press, 10 January 1986, Page 22

‘Runner’ rankings

NZPA Washington Anne Audain gets the highest ranking of New Zealanders in the American “Runner” magazine’s road race rankings for 1985. She is rated sixth of the top 100 women. The women’s section was easily won by Norway’s Crete Waitz followed by Joan Benoit, of the United States, and Priscilla Welch, of Great Britain.

Dianne Rodger is ranked twenty-second, Lorraine Moller twenty-seventh, Mary O’Connor twentyeight, Glenys Quick thirtieth, and Ngaire Drake sixtieth.

The ranking was done on the basis of the number and quality of top-level runners

in different races throughout the year in the United States with the exception of a few foreign races that attracted top United States runners.

Only road races were considered and only those with distances between five miles (or eight kilometres) and the marathon.

In the top 200 men Rex Wilson has the highest New Zealand ranking at thirtyseventh, while John Bowden is ranked 106th and Kevin Forster 133rd. The “Runner” ranked Kenyan Simeon Kigen its top road runner of 1985 with fellow Kenyan, Michael Musyoki, second, and an American, Ken Martin, third.