Moscow berth likely for Greig

Press, 18 April 1979, Page 34

Moscow berth likely for Greig

NZPA Boston The young Christchurch runner, Don Greig, has taken a giant step toward his aim of winning a place in next years New Zealand Olympics team. The 22-year-old ran a strong thirteenth in the Boston Marathon in only his second try at the 26-mile race, and his first race overseas. An attack of cramps in his thighs and calf muscles two miles from the finish was all that prevented him from finishing in the first 10.

“Just near the finish I felt I was running on the spot, making no progress and two or three other guys passed

me,” said Greig after the race. “I had the same problem in the Choysa Marathon in Auckland last year, but I think I can overcome that in the future by taking more salt tablets.” Greig was the first New Zealander home in the Choysa race, his initial marathon, running a time in 2:16.48. In Monday’s race he was clocked at 2:14.49. “If I keep on improving like that. I’ll be all right,” he said, Greig has his eyes on the 1980 Moscow Olympics and believes he has a good chance of making the squad. “Today will have helped,” he said. “My time is now the second best by a New Zealander this year.” The only one with a better

mark is Kevin Ryan, of 1 Auckland, who ran a 2:13.57 1 marathon to finish sixth in I the Boston classic. 1 Ryan repeated last year’s 1 sixth place. 1 According to Greig, Ryan * too suffered cramps in the closing stages of the race, | eliminating his chance of * winning. Ryan was not available 4 after the race for comment, Ryan was in the leading j bunch all the race and turned J in a great run. The marathon winner for ‘ the second year in succes- c sion was the American, Bill Rodgers, in a record time of < 2:09.27. Rodgers also won in < 1975. He was followed home by Japan’s Toshihiko Seiko in t 2:10.12 with Robert Hodge, s of Canada, third in 2:12.30. t Peter Moy, of Auckland,

finished 236th in 2:28.52 and the Rotorua veteran, Jack Foster, crossed the line 689th with a time of 2:39.10, according to computer results announced by race officials last evening. The American Joan Benoit, grabbed the women’s honours, clocking a record 2:35.15 as she ran home 477th. Race officials last evening could not say whether Gillian File of New Zealand finished the course, but according to them she was not among those with times of up to 3 hours 35mins. An immense field of more than 7800 official entries started and several thousand others joined in unofficially. A crowd estimated at up to 1.3 million lined Boston streets in wet, cool weather to watch the runners. **The crowd was fantastic

cheering us on,” Greig said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It must be the greatest marathon in the world.” Greig stuck with the leading bunch of 20 for the first 10 miles but then the pace got a little hot and he dropped back slightly with the American, Frank Shorter, the Munich Olympics marathon winner, and runner-up at Montreal. Shorter, who wasn’t at his peak, finished 79th Greig did not fall too far behind the leaders and during the second half of the race moved up to tenth from nineteenth before the cramps slowed him down. The Christchurch runner was highly elated at his showing in spite of badly blistered feet. “I couldn’t ask for any thing better in only my second marathon,” said Greig,