© Cool Sports 1996Sydney International Marathon
The third annual Sydney International marathon was held in perfect conditions on Sunday, 18th of August and attracted 1900 runners. The course winds its way around the scenic harbour foreshores and ends up at the Homebush Olympic Athletes' warm up track. With a few minor variations, this is the course for the Olympic marathon in the year 2000. Some of the hills which caused anger last year have been taken out and the winner, Jan Huruk from Poland said "this was nearly a perfect course with a challenging hill 2kms from the finish to sort out who would win in the end." Huruk really wanted to win this marathon for a number of reasons, he hadn't won a marathon for six years, he had run two marathons this year in the time of 2:13 and had been denied a place in the Olympic marathon by the Polish Athletic Federation so he felt he had plenty to prove. He was really happy to win and said he may have had a better time result if he had not bolted from the rest of the field in the first half, establishing a clear five minute lead up until 5kms from the finish. His half marathon time was 65:38 but he has a 63:29 time to his credit in the Toyko half marathon this year. Huruk is ranked number one in Poland this year and will return to Australia next August to defend his title. In the end Huruk won in a convincing time of (2:14:33) from Seiji Kushibe(2:16:17) from Japan and his country man, Akira Zayasu(2:16:19). The top 12 places were rounded out by :
Innocencio Miranda, 2:16:33 Mexico Driss Dacha, 2:16:42, Morocco Toshiaki Kurabayashi, 2:16:51, Japan Koji Koyanagi, 2:17:07, Japan Zerihun Gizan, 2:17:40, Ethiopia Koichi Haraghuci, 2:17:48, Japan Jean Luc Assemat, 2:18:33, France Boniface Merande, 2:18:44, Kenya Danny Boltz, 2:18:47, Switzerland.
The first Australian man home was Hector Begeo, 2:24:19 from Ballarat in Victoria. He was followed by the 1995 Australian champion, Michael McIntyre in 2:25:59.
The women's race was a little more interesting and not nearly as clear cut with several women dominating the race at different stages. Home town favourite, Tania Ruckle was returning to marathon racing after a two year absence caused by an atrocious result(last) in the Commonwealth Games marathon on Victoria Island, Vancouver in 1994. After two Australian girls, Sylvia Rose (who won the recent Gold Marathon) and Lynne Clayton led out initially, 19 year old Esther Maina, a Kenyan training and living in Japan was well ahead at the 30 Kms mark.
Tania Ruckle was reeling in the front runners and Alina Ivanova from Russia and Tatiana Pozdnyakova from the Ukraine were a about a minute behind running strongly together. Ivanova and Pozdnyakova claim they did not know there were other women ahead of them and were surprised when they started passing others in the last 7 kms. Ivanova finally broke away from Pozdnyakova on the hill 2kms from the finish and won in a time of 2:37:19. Pozdnyakova whose leg injury prevented her from chasing Ivanova up that hill finished in 2:38:27. The minor placing's were rounded out by Esther Maina in a time of 2:39:19 with home town favourite, Ruckle coming fourth in 2:40:01. Sylvia Rose 2:40:43 and Lynn Clayton 2:42:01 did well for the Aussie brigade finishing 5th and 6th. Ruckle commented after the race "it was really nice to get that monkey off my back and know that I can run a marathon again." She had planned to finish full of running and did just that.
Interestingly at the Barcelona Olympic Games, Alina Ivanova competed as a race walker. After a disastrous event she has turned to marathon running and has run 11 in the last four years. She has a best time of 2:32:08 which she ran in this years London Marathon for a 6th place. Race walking is behind Ivanova now as she enjoys the unpredictability of the marathon.
The Wheelchair division was won by 49 year old, Mike Nugent from Virginia, Queensland in a time of 1:59:26. Nugent was also the 1995 winner.
A 10 KM fun run was held in conjunction with the marathon, also finishing on the Olympic warm up track. Controversy dogged this race as the pace car took the first three to cross the line on a 300 metre less short cut. This was a great shame as the brilliant, South African, John Morapedi who had won the previous week's City to Surf crossed the line in a time of 28:08. The race was awarded on a protest to James Harrison (31:19), Trent Scott (32:01) and Tony Ventura (32:27). The protest was decided according to IAAF rules but as an act of faith, the equivalent prize money was also awarded to the original three placegetters. No such controversey with the womens reuslts: Liz Miller 35.16, Michelle Dillon 35:42 both Aussies and Karen Murphy(NZ) 36:43 were the first three placegetters.
John Morapedi has had a torrid time in the last two weeks. He competed in and won the Olympic 5000 metre heat he ran but was unsuccessful in the semi-final. He travelled back to Pretoria and then onto Australia to defend his title at the premier road race in Australia on August 11. His winning time for this 14 kms gruelling race was 40:19 and he was pushed all the way by Darren Wilson from Victoria (40:22).
Other top ten finishers: Shaun Creighton 40:55, David Evans 41:05, Patrick Carroll 42:01, Lee Troop 42:19, Kim Gillard 42:34, Steve Isbel 42:38, Adam Leane 43:03, Jim Golledge 43:04.
First woman, Heather Turland 46:43, followed by Melody Fairchild, 47.31 and Susan Michelsson in 47.51. This was the 35 year old mother from Bowral second City to Surf win and the third fastest ever run.
The City to Surf held in Sydney for the 26th consecutive year, attracted a record field of over 44,000 plus and once again it was a beautiful clear sunny day.
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