Rod Dixon--New Zealand great

Rod Dixon is one of the alltime great runners from New Zealand--a country that has produced far more than its expected share of top runners. This possibly extends from the influence of Arthur Lydiard, the immensely influential New Zealand coach from the early 1960s to the present day.[In this episode, George and Amby also discuss Yomif Kejelcha's half marathon record, Jenny Simpson's health update, and Ethan Strand's 1500-meter win over Cole Hocker and Jacob Ingebrigtsen.]Dixon won an Olympic bronze medal in the 1972 Games in Munich, and returned 4 years later in Montreal to miss another bronze by a whisker in the 5000-meter final.After the Olympic boycott of 1980, Dixon turned increasingly to the roads, and won many big U.S. races. These included: Falmouth, Bay to Breakers, and the Philly Half Marathon.The marathon beckoned and Dixon took on the challenge. In 1983, he won the New York City Marathon in 2:08:59 in one of the most dramatic finishes in NYCM history. He trailed Geoff Smith by a wide margin at 20 miles, but slowly whittled away at the gap until he sprinted past Smith just 200 meters from the finish in Central Park. A famous poster shows Dixon with raised, celebratory arms while Smith writhes in collapse on the road behind the New Zealander. Today Dixon, from Nelson, NZ, at the northernmost edge of the South Island, stays busy working with schools that support his Kids Marathon Foundation, which promotes activity, good nutrition, and wellness for young age groups. More at KidsMarathonFoundation.orgWHERE TO FIND "RUNNING: STATE OF THE SPORT"Use your smartphone to download our podcast from Apple, Spotify, or YouTube Podcasts. Once you've selected your favorite app, search for "running state of the sport."With your computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can also listen direct to “Running: State of the Sport” at the below internet links.APPLESPOTIFYYOU TUBEAUDIBLEI HEARTPOCKETCASTS