Cool Running Webwatch:-
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Games village on track
Athens, May 10, 2004

http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/09/1084041268035.html

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Marion Jones claimed her first double of the year at the Jamaican
International Invitational meeting. 8 May

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/3696059.stm

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Olympic champion Maurice Greene won the 100m at the Japan Grand Prix.
8 May

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/3693251.stm

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Kosgei smashes World 25km record in Berlin
Sunday 9 May 2004

Berlin, Germany - In a triumphant return to Berlin's Olympic Stadium for
the city's traditional 25km race for the first time since 2000, Kenyan Paul
Kosgei smashed the World record today by almost one minute, clocking 1:12:45.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=25198.html

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Sunday 9 May 2004

Naples, Italy - Just three weeks after taking 4th place in the Flora London
Marathon, double World Marathon bronze medallist Stefano Baldini took a
very surprising Italian Half Marathon title today in 1:02:44.

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=25199.html

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ACT ATHLETICS
PRESS RELEASE

CANBERRA COMMUNITY PAY TRIBUTE TO BANNISTER

A large field of runners, walkers and joggers turned out in cool conditions
in Canberra last night (6May) to celebrate the 50th anniversay of the
breaking of the 4 minute mile by Sir Roger Bannister, in 1954.

As part of the evening's activities a small group of Canberra's top middle
distance runners were trying to emulate Bannister's feat by breaking the 4
minute barrier. Philo Saunders (WC), Michael Shelley (AIS), Andrew
O'Neill(AIS) and Shaun Creighton (NCGA) were hoping to go close to the time
if not break it. Creighton is the only one of the four who has broken the 4
minute barrier. At their peak all four are capable of running a sub 4
minute mile.

Race organiser Michael Thomson was looking for any good omens and pointed
out one to the crowd shortly before the race. "You will all be pleased to
here that a sub 4 temperature has been forecast for Canberra this evening."
Thomson told the crowd.

Unfortunately the cool conditions took its toll on the field. Creighton was
a late withdrawal with the flu, Shelley also had the flu and although he
started the race he soon realised he shouldn't have.

2004 World Junior representatives; Gavin Jefferies and Ross Ridgewell paced
Saunders through the first two laps before Saunders took over the lead
running. Saunders final time of 4 minutes 9.97 seconds was well short of
his expectations, but considering the events of the evening and his heavy
training load, he should be happy.

While most people had come to see the re-enactment and were busy watching
Saunders, they may have a missed a number of other highlights.

Also in the race was nineteen year old Lisa Corrigan (AIS), who was hoping
to break the Australian resident record of 4 minutes 31.2 seconds set by
Canberra's Krishna Stanton-Wood some 16 years ago when Corrigan was just
three. Running in the main event, Corrigan, also in heavy training,
recorded an impressive time of 4 minutes 37.66 seconds which ranks Corrigan
eighth on the Australian All time list for the Mile.

Competing in the first race of the evening Rad Leovic (ACTVets) lead the
field home in a time of 7 minutes 50.04 seconds. Leovic one of the oldest
participants at 78 received some excellent competition in the early laps
from some of the youngest, Kirsten Green (7), Zoe Green (10) and David
Green (6).

Local junior athlete, Emily Pluck (13) smashed the ACT under 16, under 18
and under 20 resident and all comers records with a time of 5 minutes 04.01
when she finished third in the next race. For Pluck it was a great finish
to a season in which she won the Australian All-Schools under 14, 800m and
1500m titles and collected a silver medal at the Australian Under 16
Championships in Canberra in March. As a measure of Pluck's performance,
the World under 14 record for the mile is 4 minutes 55.0 seconds set by
America's Mary Decker Slaney in 1972

Race Organiser Michael Thomson was pleased with the evening. "It was great
to see such a cross representation of the community. Participants ages
ranged from 6 to 78 with abilities ranged from the elite to not so elite.
Importantly all participants celebrated the event in the right spirit,
whether they actually remembered Bannister's run or not."

"It was great to listen to some of our elder participants as they relived
their memories of past great moments in athletics. I was there when.....".

The oldest competitor on the evening came all the way from Blaxland to take
part. Joy Bannister shared a close connection to the event, not only
sharing the same surname as the great man himself, but also being the
mother of ACT Athletics Executive Officer, Elizabeth Simpson.

The event was a great promotion for distance running. The large crowd were
invited onto the track to encourage athletes while the music of Chariots of
Fire was blasted over the PA system.

Canberra Marathon (2004) winner, Martin Dent was the biggest surprise of
the evening finishing second in 4 minutes 15.93 seconds. It was only two
weeks ago that Dent ran the 5th fastest marathon by an Australian this year
of 2 hours 15 minutes, to win the Canberra event. Remarkably Dent also
spent 7 hours rogaining on the weekend as well.

Paralympic Wheelchair athletes Frederic Periac (Vic) and Richard Nicholson
(NCG/ACTAS) led the main field home in the Invitational race in 3 minutes
49.53 and 3 minutes 54.32 seconds respectively.

Results:
Invitation Race: Philo Saunders (WC) 4minutes 09.97 seconds, 1; Martin Dent
(WC) 4:15.93, 2; Andrew O'Nneil (AIS) 4:16.79, 3; Aaron Coles () 4:36.91,
4; Lisa Corrigan (AIS) 4:37.66, 5.

Wheelchair: Frederic Periac (VIC) 3:49.35, 1; Richard Nicholson
(NCGA/ACTAS) 3:54.32, 2.

Open Heat 1: Rad Leovic (Vet) 7:50.54 (W75 Record), 1. Kirsten Green
8:29.12, 2; Alice Scott (Vet) 8:33.68, 3; Lara Green 8:47.88, 4; Jessica
Drake 8:48.24, 5; Zoe Green 8:49.53, 6; David Green 9:30.53, 7; Jack
Thackrary (Vet) 10:01.50, 8; Kevin McMahon (Vet) 10:36.10, 9; John Burns
(Vet) 11:26.98, 10; Trish Thomas (Vet) 11:54.14, 11; Joy Bannister
12:47.42, 12; Elizabeth Simpson 12:48.07, 13; Dave McKenzie (Vet) 14:14.71, 14.

Open Heat 2: John Morton (Vet) 4:52.35, 1; Raoul Leuscher (AIS) 5:02.44, 2;
Emily Pluck (SCT) 5:04.01 (ACT Record), 3; Jenny Pluck (SCT) 5:04.44, 4;
Geoff Hawke (AIS) 5:09.47, 5; Steve Trevaskis (AIS) 5:18.59, 6; Tom Havlat
5:18.97, 7; Kirra Rankin 5:19.77, 8; Rebecca Wiesiak 5:31.27, 9; Gary Bowen
5:37.01, 10; Shaun Ellmers 5:50.13, 11; Jim Whyte (SCT) 5:58.34, 12; Susie
Sprague 6:01.63, 13; Isabella Havlat 6:01.97, 14; Richard Hawes 6:06.61,
15; Jane Hawes 6:17.82, 16; Michael Thomson (NCGA) 6:20.63, 17; Bryan
Thomas (Vet) 6:22.32, 18; Tony Booth (Vet) 6:23.60, 19; Andrew Moller
7:36.41, 20; Ken Eynon (Vet) 7:36.73, 21; Alan Norden (Vet) 7:43.27, 22.

END OF RELEASE

Contact - Michael Thomson 0414 733339


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*



Regards


Doug Fry



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Visit http://www.webathletics.com.au
for ACT Cross Country Club, ACT Veterans Athletic Club, The Runners Shop,
Lunch Time Running

Visit http://www.coolrunning.com.au
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