Jack Foster (athlete)

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Jack Foster (actually John Charles Foster ; born May 23, 1932 in Liverpool , † June 5, 2004 in Rotorua ) was a New Zealand marathon runner of British origin.

Foster immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 24. It was not until he was 32 that he started running .

In 1969 he was third in the Canadian National Exhibition Marathon in 2:19:03 h . The following year he won the Fletcher Challenge Marathon in 2:22:21 and was fourth in 2:14:44 at the British Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh . A win at the Canadian National Exhibition Marathon was followed by fourth place in the Fukuoka Marathon with a New Zealand record of 2:12:18. After a third place in Fukuoka in 1971 and a victory at the Fletcher Challenge Marathon in 1972, he was nominated for the Olympic Games in Munich , where he came in eighth.

In 1973 he won a marathon in Kyoto , defended his title at the Fletcher Challenge Marathon and finished second at the New Zealand Championships.

At the British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch in 1974 he finished second behind the Englishman Ian Thompson and improved his national record to 2:11:19 h. That summer he won a marathon in Westwood .

In 1975 he came 36th at the World Cross Country Championships in Rabat , won the Fletcher Challenge Marathon for the fourth time , came third in the Hamilton Marathon and won the Honolulu Marathon . In 1976 he was New Zealand champion with his victory in the Auckland Marathon and came 17th at the Olympic Games in Montreal .

The following year he finished 33rd at the 1977 Cross Country World Championships in Düsseldorf. In 1978 he was sixth in the New York City Marathon , and in 1979 he came in 155th place at the Cross Country World Championships in Limerick . In 1982 in Auckland he set a world best time of 2:20:28 h for the M50 age group, which lasted nine years.

On August 14, 1971 in Hamilton on the track, he achieved a world best time of 20 miles with 1: 39: 14.4 hours .

He died at the age of 72 when he was run over by a car on his bicycle.

Best times

  • 25,000 m: 1: 16: 29.0 h, August 14, 1971, Hamilton (intermediate time; Oceania record)
  • 30,000 m: 1: 32: 18.6 h, August 14, 1971, Hamilton (intermediate time; Oceania record)
  • Marathon: 2:11:19 h, January 31, 1974, Christchurch

Publications

  • Tale of the Ancient Marathoner: Jack Foster's Own Story. World Publications, 1974, ISBN 0890370494

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Foster, Jack
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Foster, John Charles
BRIEF DESCRIPTION New Zealand marathon runner of British descent
DATE OF BIRTH May 23, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Liverpool
DATE OF DEATH June 5, 2004
Place of death Rotorua