Jack Foster (athlete)
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| Born | 23 May 1932 Liverpool, England | |||||||||||||
| Died | 5 June 2004 (aged 72) Rotorua, New Zealand | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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John Charles Foster (23 May 1932 – 5 June 2004) was a long-distance runner born in Liverpool, England. At first a cyclist, who didn't start running until he was 32,[1] he represented New Zealand in the men's marathon at two Summer Olympics at Munich, West Germany (1972) and Montreal, Canada (1976). He made the team for the 1975 International Cross Country Championships, where his country took the title.[1] A resident of Rotorua, he won the silver medal in the marathon at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch with a master's world record time of 2:11:18.6 at the age of 41. Two years earlier, he had set a world record for 20 miles at 1:39:14.[2]
Foster is featured in the New Zealand short film "On the Run" about Arthur Lydiard influenced athletes. In the final scene, Foster shows the highlight of his training is a 3,000 foot run down a 45 degree scree hill.[3]
He was killed while riding his bicycle in Rotorua.[1]
Achievements[]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  New Zealand
| |||||
| 1970 | Commonwealth Games | Edinburgh, Scotland | 4th | Marathon | 2:14:44 |
| Fukuoka Marathon | Fukuoka, Japan | 4th | Marathon | 2:12:17.8 | |
| 1971 | Fukuoka Marathon | Fukuoka, Japan | 3rd | Marathon | 2:13:42.4 |
| 1972 | Olympic Games | Munich, Germany | 8th | Marathon | 2:16:56[4] |
| 1973 | Kyoto Marathon | Kyoto, Japan | 1st | Marathon | 2:14:53.4 |
| 1974 | Commonwealth Games | Christchurch, New Zealand | 2nd | Marathon | 2:11:18.6 PR |
| 1975 | Honolulu Marathon | Honolulu, Hawaii | 1st | Marathon | 2:17:24 |
| 1976 | Auckland Marathon | Auckland, New Zealand | 1st | Marathon | 2:16:27 |
| Olympic Games | Montréal, Canada | 17th | Marathon | 2:17:53 | |
| 1978 | New York City Marathon | New York City, United States | 6th | Marathon | 2:17:28 |
Personal bests[]
| Distance | Time | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25000 m | 1:16:29 NR | Hamilton | 1971 |
| 30000 m | 1:32:19 NR | Hamilton | 1971 |
| Marathon | 2:11.18.6 | Christchurch | 1974 |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Phil Taylor (11 June 2004). "Obituary: Jack Foster". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ Robinson, Roger (September 2004). "Jack Foster: 1932-2004". Running Times Magazine.
- ^ "On the Run | Short Film". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ David E. Martin, Roger W. H. Gynn (2000). The Olympic marathon. Human Kinetics. p. 477. ISBN 978-0-88011-969-6.
Foster Munich marathon.
External links[]
- New Zealand Olympic Committee[permanent dead link]
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- 1932 births
- 2004 deaths
- New Zealand male long-distance runners
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics
- Olympic athletes of New Zealand
- World record setters in athletics (track and field)
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
- Sportspeople from Rotorua
- Road incident deaths in New Zealand
- Sportspeople from Liverpool
- New Zealand masters athletes
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- English emigrants to New Zealand
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- New Zealand athletics biography stubs