Athletics: Marathon win in deep snow

Wellington athlete Melissa Moon wore borrowed shoes as she regained the women's world mountain-running championships title in Alyeska, Alaska, today.

Moon opted not to wear her normal footwear after the course was buried in snow.

Instead, she borrowed a pair of studded shoes from an English junior runner because her own gave no grip.

Moon was second to the top of the hill, but flew past England's Paula Mudge to be convincingly clear at the finish.

The victory was all the sweeter for Moon, who had relinquished the title last year when she suffered breathing difficulties.

It also marked a fine comeback from a hamstring injury that forced her to withdraw from the national cross-country championships.

Her performance came one day after New Zealand won the bid to host the world championships. The event will be held in September 2005 in Wellington.

New Zealand team manager Martin MacDonald said the conditions were extremely difficult for competitors.

"The snow was so deep on the top half of the course that skiing and snowboarding would have been more appropriate," he said.

The New Zealanders found it difficult to use their uphill strength and the women's team finished seventh.

Another Wellington runner, Matthew Prosser, finished sixth in the junior men's race in which Auckland's Shaun Krawitz came 15th to help New Zealand to fifth in the teams event.

The junior women came sixth. Dana Hastie finished 12th and her Wellington team-mate Sarah Beresford 13th.

The senior men's race will be held tomorrow.


- NZPA