Raetihi's remarkable runner

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 27, 6 December 1983, Page 1

Raetihi's remarkable runner

About this time last month Australians were asking: "Where's Waverley?", following Kiwi's win in the Melbourne Cup. Now they must be asking: "Where's Raetihi?"following Siegfried Bauer's win in the 1,000 mile Cliff Young Colac race in Australia last week. And why Raetihi? Well I that's because Siegfried Bauer has been a resident of ■wetihi for the last 10 years ^md now considers it his home. Originally from Sudetenland in Germany he served his apprenticeship as an industrial blacksmith before coming to New Zealand 18 years ago. He spent the first 8 years in Wellington employed as a sheet metal worker before coming to the Waimarino. Siggy Bauer makes it quite clear that he is not a marathon runner over the comparatively short distance of 26 miles (42kms) but an ultra distance runner of 100 miles (160kms) or more. But, in order to get competition and recognition, je has had to go overseas. j^BFhere the ultra long ^nstance races are popular attracting up to 1,000 competitors but of these only lOor 12are reallygood long distance runners, he said. That is why he has spent much of the past year overseas taking part in races in Europe, America and now Australia. He is not recognised by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association despite several applications for recognition and as a result has had no financial support from that organisation or the New Zealand Sports Foundation. This has meant he has had to work at part time jobs when in New Zealand in order to maintain his rigorous training programme of running for up to 3 hours each day. Nor does he get

any financial assistance from the NZAAA or the Sports Foundation to help with travelling expenses to these events . even though whilst overseas, he is.always identified as 'the New Zealand runner' and New Zealand basks in the reflected glory of his achievements. But other countries have been willing to support and encourage this sincere and dedicated athlete. For much of the year he has been employed by Hoechst of Frankfurt in Germany on the basis of having as much free time as required to train for and participate in ultra long distance running events. When he ran and won the 1 1 0 mile ( 1 77kms) race from

Cologne to Weisbaden he was identified throughout the race and after, on film and TV, as 'der Neu Seelaender'. When he won the 500 mile (822km) New York Six Day Run in July this year he was again referred to as 'the athlete from New Zealand'. As an established ultra distance runner he has also been invited to run in a 2day event in Philadelphia, a 380 mile (600km) road race from Bordeaux to Paris, and a 6-day indoor track race in La Rochelle, an event he came third in last year. Earlier this year Siggy Bauer, 4 1 , ran second in the gruelling 550 mile (875km) Sydney to Melbourne race behind 61 year old Australian, Cliff Young, a running legend in Colac Victoria after whom this latest race was named. And now Siggy has secured his title as one of the world's ace long distance runners with his determination, courage and stamina in not only winning the Colac 1000 mile race but being the only runner in an international field, to last the distance after 1 2 days, 1 2 hours, 13 minutes and 30 seconds. And whats mOre in doing so he shattered his own existing world record for 1000 miles by 9 hours, 10 minutes and 10 seconds. Siggy has long wanted ultra distance running to be recognised in New Zealand and for just such a race — perhaps from North Cape to the Bluff and attracting the world's best long distance runners — to be run here. Now that he has bulit up such a reputation for himself — and New Zealand — he may be able to persuade some sponsor to organise such an event in this country. Siegfried Bauer would like nothing better and deserves attention having earned himself a place among the greatest athletes in the world.