Athletics: Title won, but goal eludes Crumpton

It was a sweet and sour result for Otago distance runner Shireen Crumpton at Invercargill yesterday.

She won the New Zealand marathon title but failed to reach the qualifying standard for the New Delhi Commonwealth Games.

The Dunedin nurse was the first woman home in the 42km race from Riverton to Invercargill in 2hr 44min 12sec and collected the $3000 winner's purse.

But it was seven minutes short of the Commonwealth Games qualifying time of 2hr 37min.

Crumpton (39) was four minutes ahead of race record-holder Gabrielle O'Rourke (Wellington), who was second in 2hr 48min 40sec, with Sarah Biss (Rotorua) third in 2hr 49min 52sec.

Crumpton was on target for the time when she passed through 21km in 1hr 17min 53sec.

"I started a bit too fast and hit a bad patch with 15km to go," Crumpton said from Invercargill.

Hamstring problems since the World Cup at Berlin in August have limited her training.

"I have not been able to do tempo runs over 25km or run the Waitati course," she said.

But there was still satisfaction in the performance.

It was the 12th New Zealand senior title of her career.

This year she has won three titles - 10,000m on the track, half marathon and now the marathon.

Crumpton is investigating the possibility of getting a qualifying time at an overseas marathon in January or February.

"I'm not sure where at this stage," she said.

Crumpton was the second Otago runner to complete the course in the field of 300.

Ahead of her was John Bayne (Leith) who finished 10th in the men's championship in 2hr 43min 15sec.