SajtóPress
|
Hungarian Rhapsody It’s May 4th 1998 and Janos Bogar (HUN) is driving me to Budapest airport. The car was his prize for winning the 1997 Vienna to Budapest Race and in that same year Edit Berces (HUN) won the women’s race. I had been to Hungary for the national 100km Championships at Encs on May 3rd and at that time was more than a little interested in the time Berces was likely to achieve in her debut at 100kms. Bogar was also running well and the winning times of both runners tell the story- Bogar (6.32.00) and Berces (7.26.47). Stories abound of marathoners running well in their attempts at ultradistance. Some that come to mind are Ian Thompson (GBR) winning the London to Brighton Race; Chantel Langlace (FRA) winning the Amiens 100km and Alberto Salazar (USA) winning the Comrades Marathon (90kms). With regards to Salazar I was given his warm-up suit before the start of his Comrades in 1994. It is in the same carrier bag awaiting placement in the IAU Museum and adding a certain flavour to my office.- I have been tempted to write to NIKE demandig payment or else I return it to them. More recently we have seen very good marathoners tackling the 100km with some enthusiasm and some that come to mind are Fetizon (FRA), Sunada (JPN) and Mikami (JPN). In this newsletter we report on the IAU European 100km Championships under the Patronage of EAA and on the front cover we show Edit Berces on her way to victory.. The AIMS Newsletter for May arrives and the front cover shows Janos Bogar "an ultramarathon specialist", slipped across the border to win the Graz Marathon, Austria on March 26th 2000". The first woman in the race was Edit Berces. An ultramarathoner is by definition also a marathoner.. Speed is a relative concept and it would be wrong to assume that all good marathoners can make the successful transition to 100kms. It would be equally wrong to suggest that successful 100km runners might find the marathon easy. Having said that there is a certain cause for celebration when ultrarunners are successful in both disciplines. Janos Bogar and Edit Berces have started the year well.. Best wishes, Malcolm Note. As we were sending material for printing the telephone rang and we were advised that Janos Bogar had won the Silver Medal at the 100km Del Passatore on May 27th. Six days earlier he had won the Gold Medal in the Madrid International 100km with 6.55.00. |
