Coast marathon title belongs to Boland

Press, 7 December 1987, Page 30

Coast marathon title belongs to Boland

John Boland, of Hokitika, won the twenty-seventh Great Westland Marathon run from Hokitika to Greymouth on Saturday. Boland obviously has a liking for the event In 1980 when it was run as a handicap event he took fastest time. He was runnerup in 1981 and 1982 and the winner in 1984.

This year's victory also gives him the 1987-88 Canterbury provincial marathon title. Second to Boland was the defending provincial titleholder, Brendon Daly, Arthur Gempton (Greymouth), the 1983 and 1985 Great Westland winner, vied for the early lead but by halfway Boland had taken charge and was thereafter never threatened. Boland’s time at the halfway stage would have given him second place in the half marathon run earlier in the day. Boland and Gempton were trailed by a close-knit Christchurch trio of Daly, Denis Christmas and Jeff Hill.

After 30km, Daly and Christmas caught a tiring Gempton and went on to finish only 12s apart Hill faded to sixth when Elton

Merrin, of Motueka, caught him in the last couple of kilometres.

Helen Grant of Christchurch, whose husband Robbie took out the veteran, men’s race, convincingly won the women’s race, finishing twenth-fourth over all. Her time was only a minute and a half outside the women’s race record. The most exciting race of the day, however, took place ahead of all the runners, in the wheelchair division. Graeme Condon (Christchurch) and Nelson’s Maurice Hennessy were both attempting to beat 2 hours 20 minutes tp qualify for the wheelchair marathon at next year’s Seoul Olympics. In an extremely closefought race, Condon headed Hennessy by a mere two seconds, both finishing In excellent times, a shade under 2:19.

The oldest finisher in the marathon was 75-year-old Sam McArthur (Nelson) who completed the distance in over five hours.

In the half marathon, the 1985 winner and 1986 runnerup, ikJdie Gray (Greymouth) wasAkack as the victor. Though qualifying to compete

as a veteran. Gray chose to run in the open grade. This allowed Andy Dennis (Westport), who finished second, to take out the veteran men’s race. It was a good day for the local runners with Paulette Bryan of Greymouth winning the women’s race. Both races were ruw in dampish conditions but temperatures were mild. Two hundred and twenty-two runners completed the half, with about 75 finishing the marathon. Results.—

Marathon.— Open men: J. Boland 2:25.39, 1; B. Daly 2:30.36, 2; D. Christmas 2:30.48, 3.

Veteran men: R. Grant 2:50.43, 1; M. Garborough 2:53.16, 2; L. Woods 2:53.17, 3.

Women: H. Grant 3:4.50, 1 (and first veteran); A. Rigg 3:11.11, 2; H. Johnston 3:16.36. Wheelchair. G. Condon 2:18.54, 1; M. Hennessy 2:18.56, 2. Half-marathon.—

Men: E. Gray 1:9.33, 1: A. Dennis 1:12.25, 2 (and first veteran); S. McMaster 1:13.4, 3. - Women: P. Bryan L 30.22, k. R. Abfe 1:34.38, 2; A. Miln® 1:35.4, a (and first veteran):