Nina Rillstone training in the Auckland Domain in this file photo. Picture / Paul Estcourt
New Zealand distance runner Nina Rillstone intends to concentrate on the marathon after finishing a creditable seventh in the New York Marathon yesterday.
Rillstone, 30, from Auckland, told National Radio today that she planned to run the 42.2km marathon at next year's world track and field championships in
Osaka, Japan.
"I am fairly confident that yesterday's race has qualified me for the Beijing Olympics in the marathon, so it's pretty much where I'm at for the next couple of years."
Rillstone clocked two hours 31 minutes 19 seconds on what she said was a challenging course.
She was just over six minutes behind the winner, Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia.
In April she finished third in the Nagano Olympic memorial marathon in Japan, clocking 2hr 29min 46sec.
"Yesterday's time was two minutes slower than what I ran in Nagano. New York is not a fast course it is reasonably hilly and challenging.
"I thought that a top 10 finish would be fantastic, so to come in seventh, I was really happy."
A consistent performer on the track over the past five years, Rillstone has won New Zealand titles over 1500m in 2001, 3000m in 2001 and 2004, and 5000m in 2004.
The New York result continues a good 2006 for Rillstone. She was 15th in the world cross-country championships at Fukuoka , just 1min 18sec behind the winner, reigning world short and long course champion, Tirunesh Dibaba, of Ethiopia.
In September, she finished third in a half marathon in Virginia, US, behind Kenyans Edna Kiplagat and Alice Chelangat.
- NZPA
