Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: S. African Mtolo wins New York Marathon Date: Mon, 2 Nov 92 15:45:13 EST Message-ID: \SE C;SPORTS \SS (WS) \HD S. African Mtolo wins New York Marathon \BY ASSOCIATED PRESS \DT NEW YORK NEW YORK (AP) - South African Willie Mtolo, denied an opportunity to run internationally until this year because of his country's racial policies, won the New York City Marathon yesterday, and Australia's Lisa Ondieki set a women's course record. Besides the two winners, there also was a remarkable performance by race director Fred Lebow, who was diagnosed with brain cancer nearly three years ago. For Lebow, 60, it was the dream of a lifetime. After directing and orchestrating the race since its inception in 1970 and completing the event only in its first year, he shuffled or walked through the entire 26 miles, 385 yards. Mtolo, meanwhile, got a chance to show his ability to a world audience. He came to New York last year with the intention of running, but was denied the chance because South Africans were banned internationally. "In South Africa, they will be very happy," said Mtolo, 28, who never has become involved in the inflammatory political situation in his country. "This will mean a lot for South Africa." Mtolo, who lived up to the No. 1 he wore on his racing singlet, was timed in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 29 seconds, matching the seventh-fastest time in the race's history. For Ondieki, the victory was vindication for her Olympic failure. She was the favorite at the Summer Olympics, but dropped out after 16 miles. "I thought my marathon would be at Barcelona, but I'm glad it was at New York," said Ondieki, 32, who was timed in 2:24:40 - 40th overall. "I wasn't comfortable at Barcelona. Here, I wasn't afraid of losing." As Lebow ran, accompanied by nine-time women's winner Grete Waitz, 39, of Norway, and a phalanx of fans, he was cheered loudly along the entire route through the city's five boroughs. Although Lebow did not live up to his promise of finishing in less than five hours, his emotional performance was greeted by tremendous cheers and strains of "New York, New York," over the loudspeakers after finishing in 5:32:34. Mtolo never had raced outside South Africa until winning a marathon at Enschade, Netherlands, on June 21. That race, however, did not compare in stature to the New York City Marathon, the world's largest marathon with a field of approximately 25,000. Neither did it compare in prize money. For winning New York, the soft-spoken Mtolo, who grew up as a member of a Zulu tribe in the poor, tiny village of Kilimon in the foothills of the Drakensburg Mountains, automatically received $20,000 plus a new Mercedes Benz car. In addition, for his sub-2:10 clocking, he collected another $30,000 in bonus money. The largest previous purse for Mtolo, the son of a cattle farmer, was about $2,500 for his victory in the Netherlands. This was the seventh marathon victory of his career, to go along with four seconds and one in which he did not finish. The first five victories came in South Africa, where Mtolo was confined to running until the International Amateur Athletic Federation, the world governing body of track and field, readmitted South Africa to the running community May 31. Until then, South Africa had been barred because of its apartheid policies. Mexico's Andres Espinosa, who had held the lead until Mtolo surged past him at the 23-mile mark, was the runner-up for the second straight year, in 2:10:53, one second ahead of Kim Wan-Ki of South Korea. Mtolo's strong finish was part of his race strategy. "I saved all my energy for the last five kilometers [3.1 miles], which were hilly," he said. "I was very strong on the hills. I knew I had Espinosa at the hills." Fifteen minutes after Mtolo finished, Ondieki, a two-time runner-up and last year's third-place finisher at New York, won the women's division for the first time after three near-misses. The previous course record of 2:25:29 was set by Allison Roe of New Zealand in 1981. Ondieki's overall placing was the best by a woman since 1975 when Kim Merritt won in 2:46:14, placing her 34th in a starting field of 534. Ondieki's time was the 13th-fastest ever by a woman but not the fastest of her career. She ran 2:23:51 in winning an all-women's race at Osaka, Japan, in 1988. Ondieki, who finished second to Waitz in 1985 and 1986 and was third last year behind Liz McColgan of Scotland and Olga Mqrkova of Russia, led virtually all the way. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM