Athletics: Financial incentive for Crumpton

Dunedin nurse Shireen Crumpton (Hill City) could be $12,000 richer if she cracks the Commonwealth Games qualifying standard in the New Zealand marathon championships in Invercargill tomorrow morning.

The qualifying mark to reach New Delhi is 2hr 37min and this is just three seconds faster than Crumpton's best time of 2hr 37min 03sec that she ran when finishing 33rd at the world championships in Helsinki in 2005.

There is an extra incentive for Crumpton (39) in the 42km race from Riverton to Surrey Park in Invercargill.

The race was first held in 1909 and is the oldest marathon in the southern hemisphere.

The organisers of this year's Southland marathon, that doubles as the national championships, are keen to celebrate the first race that was held 100 years ago.

They are offering a cash incentive prize of $10,000 for the first male finishing under 2hr 16min and $10,000 for the first female under 2hr 37min.

An added bonus of $2000 is offered to men and women who can break the respective Southland marathon records.

The men's record, 2hr 12min 20sec, was run by Olympian John Campbell (Otago) in 1987 and the women's record, 2hr 37min 58sec, was run by Gabriella O'Rourke in 1994.

Crumpton ran 2hr 41min 31sec when she finished 44th at the World Cup in Berlin in August.

She is still suffering from the hamstring problems that hampered her that day and has not been able to do the speed preparation she needs to run a fast marathon.

"I'm not confident," Crumpton said.

"I'm not as race fit as I would like to be and just don't know how I'm running."

But she still managed to win the New Zealand half-marathon title for the fourth time in Auckland in a time of 1hr 15min 59sec.

It is important for Crumpton to run a qualifying time in Invercargill because her next serious marathon in New Zealand would be in Christchurch in June next year.

"But it would be too risky trying to get a qualifying mark that late," Crumpton said.

"If I don't make it at Invercargill I would need to chase a qualifying mark overseas. It is a lot easier to do it in New Zealand."

There are 93 runners in the women's race tomorrow with the strongest challenges to Crumpton expected to come from Lara Phillips (Auckland), Belinda Wimmer (Nelson) and ultra-distance runner Val Muskett (Otago).

There are three runners from overseas - Megan O'Rorke (Australia), Clare Abram (United States) and Johanna Eiriksdottir (Iceland) - competing.

There are six runners from overseas among the 190 starters in the men's championship.

There were 13 starters when the race was first held in 1909 and seven finished.

The road in those days was rough and gravelled with no smooth tar seal.

For the record, the winner was David Stewart in a time of 3hr 22min 30sec.

Stewart did not have the chance to repeat his win as the race was next run in 1953.