Jack Foster (athlete)
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 23 May 1932 Liverpool, England | ||||||||||||||
| Died | 5 June 2004 (aged 72) Rotorua, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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John Charles "Jack" Foster (23 May 1932 – 5 June 2004) was a long-distance runner born in Liverpool, England. He represented New Zealand in the men's marathon at two Summer Olympics of Munich, West Germany (1972) and Montreal, Canada (1976). 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 2:11:19 at the age of 41. Two years earlier, he had set a world record for 20 miles at 1:39:14.[1]
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.[2]
He was killed while out riding his bicycle in Rotorua.[3]
Achievements
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  New Zealand
| |||||
| 1972 | Olympic Games | Munich | 8th | Marathon | 2:16:56[4] |
| 1975 | Honolulu Marathon | Honolulu, Hawaii | 1st | Marathon | 2:17:24 |
| 1976 | Olympic Games | Montréal, Canada | 17th | Marathon | 2:17:53 |
Personal bests
| Distance | Time | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25000 m | 1:16:29 NR | Hamilton | 1971 |
| 30000 m | 1:32:19 NR | Hamilton | 1971 |
| Marathon | 2:11.19 | Christchurch | 1974 |
References
- ^ Robinson, Roger (September 2004). "Jack Foster: 1932-2004". Running Times Magazine.
- ^ "On the Run | Short Film". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ Phil Taylor (11 June 2004). "Obituary: Jack Foster". NZ Herald. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ David E. Martin, Roger W. H. Gynn (2000). The Olympic marathon. p. 477. ISBN 978-0-88011-969-6.
External links
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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
- Former world record holders in athletics (track and field)
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games
- Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
- Commonwealth Games competitors for New Zealand
- Sportspeople from Rotorua
- Road incident deaths in New Zealand
- Sportspeople from Liverpool
- Masters athletes
- Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
- New Zealand athletics biography stubs