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27.05.98: Veteran savours victory

The Westside News reports:
After a quick check over his shoulder on Sunday morning Ron Peters found the pain in his legs had virtually disappeared. Just over 1km from the finish line of the 1998 Quest Brisbane River Run marathon the veteran Ferny Grove runner could see no one else behind him. The race was his. "It's something I've never experienced before." Ron said as he described the final stretch into Suncorp Stadium to cross the finish line. I didn't feel a thing for the last kilometre. I was just floating.

"Normally the last kilometre is really gruelling. Every step hurts and you're looking for the end but yesterday (Sunday) I just savored it." Ron, 45, won the marathon in 2:30:43. It was his third Brisbane marathon and his second marathon win. He won the Toowoomba Marathon in 1992. "The last thing I expected was to win the thing." Ron said. "In a big city marathon you expect the winner to run 2:25 at least. I'm an old guy. I should be just filling up the field ..." he said.

Kuraby's Rob Deen was second with a time of 2:36:06, third was Andrew Baron of Enoggera with 2:34:09. The first woman home was Janine Reid of Annerley with 2:59:58. Second was Corella Edwards of Sunshine Beach with 3:04:31, third was Lisa Ondieki with 3:09:21.

Ondieki led blind runner Gerard Gossens in the half marathon before completing the marathon, She donated her $600 prize to the Asthma Foundation.

Octogenarian Bob Horman from Redland Bay set a world record for the fastest time (3:39:18) in a marathon for an 80-year-old.

More than 8000 people turned out for the four events which attracted almost 4300 entrants - an increase of more than 1000 on last year's total.

Results are here.

25.05.98: Bob, 80, sets pace for a marathon life

Paul Malone, writing in the Courier Mail, reports:
No alcohol and a vegetarian diet yesterday propelled former World War II Digger Bob Horman to the fastest time in a marathon by an 80-year-old. Horman, of Redland Bay, out-slogged competitors a quarter of his age to finish the Brisbane River Run marathon in 3hrs 39min 18sec. It was believed to be almost 29 minutes quicker than the fastest time recorded for an over 80s.

Police closed off streets around Suncorp Stadium, the start and finish of the marathon, to allow 4300 competitors to take part. Janine Reld won the women's and Ron Peters the men's event.

After a brief rest and drink, Horman sat talking animatedly with well-wishers, including Olympic silver medallist Lisa Ondieki, who wanted to know his secret of octogenarian fitness. "Number one, I'm vegetarian and I'm careful with anti-oxidants to beat free radicals. Alcohol. I've never touched it." Horman said. "But the running has got to be for fun." And he has hopes of a better time next year. "Why not? There is always a rabbit willing to take you out." he said.

Horman has had a varied career in and out of athletics. He narrowly missed selection in the Australian walking team for the 1968 Mexico Olympics, is a former mayor of Ringwood in Victorian and was once a construction engineer in Africa.

Results are here.

25.05.98: Marathon man strikes a blow for grey power!

Paul Malone, writing in the Courier Mail, reports:
Road workhorse Ron Peters declared he had struck a blow for 'grey power' when he won the Brisbane River Run marathon yesterday at the age of 45. Peters mastered the hilly course in 2hr 30min 43sec despite it being in the middle of a campaign in which he intends to run three marathons in 12 weeks.

The pony-tailed Peters broke away from second placegetter Rob Dean (2:32:11) about the 30km mark, running away with his biggest marathon title across the finish line at Suncorp Stadium. Peters has a programme which would horrify Australia's top marathoners. He intends to attack his third marathon at the Gold Coast in seven weeks and possibly Noosa in August.

"They are elite marathons and at my age I don't have anything to lose" he said. "It's not only a win for me, it's a win for grey power. A lot of us old blokes aren't finished yet." Peters was surprised to lower the colours of Gold Coast's Brad Smith, twice Queensland Cross Country champion, and Toowoomba's Graham Kelsey.

Brisbane solicitor Janine Reid was looking forward to a break from pre-dawn training after winning the women's marathon in 2:59:58, her fourth time over the 42.2km and her first win.

Fomer Olympic marathon silver medallist Lisa Ondieki finished third to Reid despite traversing 380m more than the other competitors and running the half marathon in the company of champion blind runner Gerard Gossens. "I don't take it as seriously as some people because I have a full time job," said Reid, 26, and Australian triathlon representative in her age group.

Results are here.

22.04.98: Olympian Lines Up

The Southern Star reports:
Olympic legend Lisa Ondieki will run in the Quest Brisbane River Run/Walk as a lead-up to a mega-marathon in South Africa.

Even though Ms Ondieki has retired from competition, it seems running is in her blood. The Brisbane event, on Sunday May 24, is just three weeks before the 89km Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Ms Ondieki said up to 15,000 people competed in the marathon which ran through Zululand and the Valley of a Thousand Hills.

"The president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, stands at the finish line every year and the first five people to come across the line get to meet him," she said. "He's my absolute hero. If I could just touch him I'll be happy."

Running may be a way of life for the Olympic silver medallist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, but winning is no longer a priority. "Last November I was invited to run with five blind runners from Sydney in the New York City Marathon," Ms Ondieki said. "The streets are lined with people all along the way. In Harlem, church choirs sing on the footpaths. It's Autumn and you run through Central Park. It was great to run with people at a pace where you could talk, the whole time I was describing things I was seeing to the blind runners. "I'd run in New York before, but had to concentrate so much I didn't notice what was around me - now I'm running for fun."

Look out for Ms Ondieki at the Quest Brisbane River Run/Walk - she'll be the one with her sights set on the finish line and far, far beyond.

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