"Marathon placing caps fine spell for O’Connor

Press, 22 April 1986, Page 36

"Marathon placing caps fine spell for O’Connor

NZPA staff correspondent PETER O’HARA London The Canterbury athlete, Mary O’Connor, declared herself "very satisfied” with a month in Europe which culminated yesterday in second place behind Grete Waitz in the London Marathon. O’Connor had already finished third in a topclass cross-country field in Italy and captained the New Zealand team to second in the world crosscountry championships in Neuchatel. The New Zealander looked in fine shape as she finished at Westminster in 2 hours 30 minutes 52 seconds but

she said it had been a hard battle against the wind. It was the second time in three years that the 31-year-old had trailed the Norwegian star to the finish line in an event started by about 20,000 people. “But this time Grete was a bit faster and I was a bit slower,” she said. O’Connor said she had hoped to beat her personal best — 2:28.30, which was recorded in the 1983 race — but the wind affected her. Waitz, aged 32, who won the Olympic marathon silver medal in Los Angeles, had also set her best time in the 1983

London event. This time, in the rain and wind, she improved her best by 30 seconds to 2:24.54 as she arrived on Westminster bridge at the foot of Big Ben six minutes ahead of the tiny Kiwi. England’s Ann Ford was the third woman home with 2:31.40 in a field that O’Connor said was weakened by competing events. The first runner overall was the Japanese, Toshihiko Seko, who fulfilled his favouritism although the race time ended slower than predicted at 2:10.2. Seko, aged 29, with a best time of 2:8.38, went out fast and had pain

etched all over his face as he slowed over the last few miles. He was chased home by England’s Hugh Jones in 2:11.42. Third was a Scot, Allister Hutton, in 2:12.36. Forty-nine New Zealanders were scheduled to start the race, which followed the Thames from Greenwich through the docklands where O’Connor said cobblestones made the going tough. The huge field included many in fancy dress. Some wore plastic rubbish bags to keep the rain off as they wound past the Tower, along the Embankment and the Mall and Bird Cage Walk to Westminster bridge.