15th 1984 - 1999   Spring 1999 Volume 15 Number 2 Issued Quarterly

Articles featured in this issue:

 

• The Road to Chicago! The 1999 National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament/Men's Final Four
• Women's Wheelchair Basketball National Championship
• I Just Want to be a "Normal"Kid at Summer Camp!
• Increasing and Generalizing Self-Efficacy Through Strength Training

 

 

COVER FEATURE

 

 

103rd Boston Marathon

 

The world's fastest long distance runners gathered in Boston the weekend of April 17th, poised for the running of the 103rd Boston Marathon on Monday, April 19th. There were last year's winners, Moses Tanui (Kenya) and Fatuma Roba (Ethiopia), along with a myriad other hopefuls, including William Billy Rogers, a four-time winner and father of the resurgence in distance running in the United States in the '70s, who hoped to win and break the record of 2:31.00 for his age group - Rogers is presently 51 years old. And, of course, there were Louise Sauvage (Australia), two-time women's wheelchair division winner, and Jean Driscoll (United States), seven-time winner, along with Franz Nietlispach (Switzerland), '98's winner, Saul Mendoza (Mexico), and Scott Hollonbeck (United States) who were there to make it a race in the men's wheelchair division.

 

Franz Nietlispach (Switzerland) about to cross the finish line - second fastest time ever of 1:21:36.

 

 

BAA and the Boston Marathon

Amongst the country's oldest athletic clubs, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA), was established in 1887. A prestigious club, BAA furnished more than half of the athletes competing for the U.S. Olympic Team during the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. In fact, the Olympic Games provided the inspiration for the first Boston Marathon held on April 19, 1897, following the BAA's annual games. The original route was devised by John Graham, who wanted to emulate a similar course run by the fabled Pheidippides when he ran between Marathon to Athens in 490 BC. John McDermott outdistanced the field of 15 runners to win the event (then 24.5 miles) in 2:55:10. The Boston Marathon has been run ever since, becoming the world's oldest annually contested marathon.
From 1897-1968, the Boston Marathon was held on Patriot's Day, April 19, a holiday commemorating the start of the Revolutionary War - presently only recognized in Massachusetts and Maine. Whenever the 19th fell on a Sunday, the marathon was held the following day on Monday the 20th. When the holiday was officially moved to the third Monday in April in 1969, the Marathon moved with it. April 19, 1999, was the 31st consecutive year the race was held on a Monday. It attracted 12,700 contestants, second largest number of athletes ever, more than 1300 media representatives from some 300 outlets and 12 countries, included several thousand volunteers, and was viewed by more than one million enthusiastic spectators from start to finish along the course.

Left, Franz Nietlispach (Switzerland) seemed determined to increase his lead prior to Heartbreak Hill. Right, Edith Hunkeler (Switzerland) works a hill.

 

The Wheelchair Division

Throughout its long history, the Boston Marathon has been a proving ground for anyone accepting the challenge to compete in a marathon. On April 21, 1975, 24-year-old Bob Hall of Belmont (MA) became the first person in a wheelchair to accept the marathon challenge after being assured by Will Cloney, Race Director, that he would receive an Official BAA Finishers Certificate if he completed the course in under three hours-Hall crossed the line in 2:58. Thus, the Boston Marathon became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division competition.
For Hall the race meant triumph, since as a child he had polio and as a result used crutches and braces for daily living. His disease prevented him from regular athletic endeavors until the growing wheelchair sports movement inspired him to become a road racer utilizing a wheelchair. Bob's performance became a source of encouragement for others and forever changed the complexion of the Boston Marathon. Over the past 24 years the wheelchair division has grown and prospered in much the same way as the men's and later the women's (women entered the competition in 1972) divisions during the past 22 years. and 9 women ready for the challenge.

 

Yearly Race Synopsis

&

Wheelchair Road
Racing Classifications

 

 

 

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1999 (103rd Boston Marathon) Top 25 Men Wheelers

PLACE NAME AGE CITY COUNTRY TIME

1 Franz Nietlispach 41 Zeiningen SUI 1:21:36 2 Saul Mendoza 32 Snellville MEX 1:25:18 3 Scott Hollonbeck 29 Atlanta USA 1:27:58 4 Krige Schabort 35 Cedartown RSA 1:28:01 5 Keith Davis 26 Pacific Palisades USA 1:28:03 6 Jacob Heilveil 29 Bothell USA 1:29:47 7 Jeffrey Adams 28 Toronto CAN 1:29:47 8 Ernst VanDyk 26 Stellenbosch RSA 1:29:51 9 Kelly Smith 34 Vancouver CAN 1:30:19 10 Adam Bleakney 23 Savoy USA 1:31:29 11 Matthieu Parent 21 Cranby CAN 1:33:17 12 Tony Nogueira 31 Glen Ridge USA 1:34:41 13 Bob Molinatti 40 Oceanside USA 1:34:41 14 Daniel Normandin 28 Montreal CAN 1:36:48 15 Miguel Such 25 Wilkes-Barre USA 1:36:50 16 Clayton Peters 20 Champaign USA 1:38:01 17 Ramiro Bermudez 39 Houston USA 1:39:02 18 David Bailey 37 Vista USA 1:39:23 19 Michel Filteau 32 St. Jean Baptiste CAN 1:39:34 20 Rich Wagner 33 Columbus USA 1:40:08 21 Tony Iniguez 28 Aurora MEX 1:40:10 22 Jean-Thomas Boily 26 Orford CAN 1:44:38 23 Eric Gauthier 27 St. Jovite CAN 1:46:11 24 Jacques Bouchard 38 Gatineau CAN 1:46:11 25 Gottfried Ferchl 28 Neustift AUT 1:47:21

 

Men's All-Time Top 10 Wheelchair

Performances at Boston, 1975-1999

 

RANK TIME NAME HOME DATE

1 1:21:23 Heinz Frei Switzerland 1994 2 1:21:36 Franz Nietlispach Switzerland 1999 3 1:21:52 Franz Nietlispach Switzerland 1998 4 1:22:17 Jim Knaub California 1983 5 1:22:52 Thomas Sellers Florida 1984 6 1:23:33 Mustapha Badid France 1993 7 1:23:56 Andre Viger Canada 1993 8 1:25:16 Craig Blanchette Oregon 1993 9 1:25:18 Mustapha Badid France 1994 10 1:25:18 Jan Mattern Texas 1994

 

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Jean-Thomas Boily (Canada) completed the event in the top 25 men's performances - time, 1:44:38.

Wheelchair Division '99 Men's Race

As he has done for the past two years, Franz Nietlispach of Switzerland capitalized upon his strengths to carry him successfully through the 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometers) distance to win his third straight title with the second best time ever of 1:21:36 - nearly four minutes faster than his second place rival, Saul Mendoza (Mexico) out of Snellville, Georgia. Mendoza led for the first two miles of the race, but relinquished the lead once Nietlispach found his stroking groove, and by the ninth mile he was racing out in front all alone. At 187 pounds, Nietlispach relied upon his strength to propel him to build up a convincing lead over the relatively flat first few miles so as to be able to hold onto it once he faced the challenge of climbing up Heartbreak Hill, a rolling climb between miles 16 and 21. "The only way for me to win the race is to attack early," he said. "I really need to have a big gain when the hills start; I know I will lose ground uphill because of my weight."
The strategy helped him build a 3 min and 42 sec lead between himself and Mendoza, who at only 125 pounds had the climbing advantage and had hoped to make up ground on the Newton hills. The lead was just too much for Mendoza to make up. "I was pushing very strongly," Mendoza said. "I was hoping I could catch him. I was trying to come back." His effort fell short as Nietlispach finished in 1:21:36 with Mendoza crossing the finish line at 1:25:18 for second and Scott Hollonbeck (USA) from Atlanta, Georgia, finishing in third place with a time of 1:27:58 in spite of wiping out at the 3-mile mark and falling way back in the pack.
Nietlispach's lead was so great during the early going that his biggest obstacles were the police escort and the television camera crew's truck. "I had trouble with the motorcycles," he said. "It's a little dangerous when they're so close, because I can't see the road. I asked them to go away but, I accept that they want good pictures for the TV." Even so, his finish time was just 13 seconds shy of the world record, 1:21:23, set by Heinz Frei (Switzerland) during the Boston Marathon on April 18, 1994. It was his ninth Boston Marathon and his fourth overall win, one short of Jim Knaub's record five titles.

Louise Sauvage (Australia) gives a thumbs up after winning her third straight Boston Marathon - time, 1:42:23.

'99 Women's Race

Louise Sauvage (Australia) barely won her third straight Boston title. She held off Jean Driscoll (USA) of Champaign, Illinois, to win by less than a wheelchair length and with the identical time of 1:42:23. In last year's race, in response to an announcement over the public address system indicating, "...and Driscoll wins her eighth Marathon," Driscoll raised her arms in victory as she was about to cross the finish line only to have Sauvage squeak by her for the title-both with an equal time of 1:41:19.
Driscoll had ruled Boston from 1990 - 96, winning seven straight before a tumble at Cleveland Circle was caused when her wheel caught a streetcar track. Then it was the agony of defeat as she relaxed in supposed glory a moment too soon at the finish line after leading nearly the entire race. This was to have been her year. "I wanted #8 really badly; the more elusive it is, the more I want it," said Driscoll, who watched her rival snatch away victory once again with identical times. "I came in here believing I was going to win. I had that imagery of a win."
But imagery was just that. The race had drama from the start. Driscoll was the early leader for two miles. Sauvage became the pace-setter during the third and fourth miles. At that point there seemed to be a three-way tie over the next 13 miles between Sauvage, Driscoll, and Edith Hunkeler (Switzerland). Hunkeler dropped back at 17 and the race became a cat and mouse game as the lead exchanged several times between the two leaders.
"The big difference for me was the hills," said Sauvage. "The hills always were Jean's strength. For the first time I actually stayed with her on the hills, and I think both of us were a little surprised. I had worked hard on that part of the race back home in Sydney. I spent more time on weights and actually racing up hills. I guess I improved. I think it was the first time Jean had someone with her on the hills in quite a while."
Unlike last year, Driscoll said she did not hesitate when she rounded Chestnut Hill Avenue onto those dreaded streetcar tracks at Cleveland Circle. "When we came through that section we just looked at each other and said, good job," said Driscoll afterwards. "I wasn't intimidated by those tracks like I was last year, but I was pretty happy when I got by them."
Sauvage was in the lead as the pair hit Boylston Street. With Sauvage's sprinting strength it was going to be hard for Driscoll to overcome the small gap between them. She was just inches behind Sauvage during the last half mile. " I though I had her set up to pass her. I couldn't. I was so close, but I couldn't pass her. I was hoping to do to her what she did to me last year," said Driscoll. "But Louise has closed the gap on the hills with me and I haven't closed the gap with her on the final sprint. My hat's off to Louise."
Driscoll and Sauvage have combined to win every Boston Marathon in this decade. Despite the frustrations of the last three years, Boston remains Driscoll's favorite race. "No other race in the world has the interest in women's wheelchair racing like this one does." Edith Hunkeler, who stayed with Driscoll and Sauvage until the 17th mile, finished third with a time of 1:43:48, a minute and twenty-five seconds off the pace, but still the 11th fastest time ever for the women's division at Boston.

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1999 (103rd Boston Marathon) Top Women Wheelers

 

RANK NAME AGE HOMETOWN COUNTRY TIME

1 Louise Sauvage 25 Sydney, NSW AUS 1:42:23 2 Jean Driscoll 32 Champaign USA 1:42:23 3 Edith Hunkeler 26 Altishofen SUI 1:48:09 4 Miriam Nibley 21 Champaign USA 1:57:04 5 Diane Roy 28 Rock Forest CAN 1:58:46 6 Sylvie Potvin 26 Montreal CAN 2:09:19 7 Denise Fortier 34 Rock Forest CAN 2:11:50 8 Patricia Bowen 22 Champaign USA 2:21:28 9 Katherine Hunter 37 Orlando USA 2:34:50

 

Women's All-Time Top 10

Wheelchair Performances at

Boston, 1975-1999

 

RANK TIME NAME HOME TIME

1 1:34:22 Jean Driscoll Illinois 1994 2 1:34:45 Louise Sauvage Australia 1994 3 1:34:50 Jean Driscoll Illinois 1993 4 1:35:42 Connie Hansen Denmark 1993 5 1:36:52 Jean Driscoll Illinois 1992 6 1:39:31 Louise Sauvage Australia 1993 7 1:40:16 Connie Hansen Denmark 1992 8 1:40:42 Jean Driscoll Illinois 1995 9 1:41:19 Louise Sauvage Australia 1998 10 1:41:19 Jean Driscoll Illinois 1998

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Course Records

 DIVISION            TIME       NAME              HOME             DATE

 Men's Open          2:07:15   Cosmas Ndeti     Kenya              1994
 Women's Open        2:21:45   Uta Pippig       Germany            1994
 Men's Masters       2:11:04   John Campbell    New Zealand        1990
 Women's Masters     2:30:48   Priscilla Welch  Great Britain      1998
 Men's Wheelchair    1:21:23   Heinz Frei       Switzerland        1994
 Women's Wheelchair  1:34:22   Jean Driscoll    United States      1994

All photos this article courtesy of FAYFOTO.

Editor's Note: The Editorial Department gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of the Boston Athletic Association and its staff for sharing much needed material relative to the 103rd Boston Marathon and the Wheelchair Division. Without such assistance, this article could not have been developed.

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