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A20-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, September 27, 2005 sleblanc@haltonsearch.com ,'A classic victory Driver Ron Plerce guides Cia»kl Photo acros the finish Une ta capture tue Si-million Canadien TVottlng Cieselo for three-yeer- oids In 1:52.3 et Mohawk Seturday night. At rlght, Pierce proudiy dlsplays the champlonship tirophy. Whitlock caps 'challenge' sweep in T.O. By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion E dWhitlock may flot have beaten the three-hour barrier this time around, but he's stili the one to beat among senior marathoniers. Weathertng an unseasonably ssarm momting Sunday. the 74-year-old Mîltonian delivered a 3:02.37 performance in the Scotiahank Toronto Waterfront Marathon -which svas good enough for 58th place overaîl. and better than any competitor 55 years or older. Among that older crosvd svas 72-year old Dutchman Joop Ruter, who first challenged - Whitlock on bis osvn turf tin Rotterdam, Netherlands April 10 -and svas bested by near- ly 14 minutes. 'heir rematch pros cd to 6e far less dramatic. as the Milton marathîîner completed the sweep wtith a margtn of victory just shy of 43 minutes, "We ssere together for about the first 16 kilo- metres or so and I thought my life \vas gotng ti be dîfficult today," explatned Whitlock. Sunday's oldest marathon participant. "But then be startcd crampttîg ttp pretty badly and slosscd up sîgnificantly." Whîle expecting a more competitise challetnge troni Ruter, the local racer satd he wasn't upset by the less-than-suspenseful showdossn. "l'il take an easy svin. I dotit ttced difficulties in my lîfe,- he quipped. However, Milton's ageless svonder svast't quite so chipper about failîng to secure another sub-three hour finish -although hus disappoînt- Ed Whitlock ment wa.sn't accompanied by surprise. "My lime in a 10kmr mun two weeks earlier was much slower than la.st year. so my hopes of fintshtng in under three hours were more mod- est this lime." explatned Whitlock, the world's only septuagenartan (7(0 years or older) in history t0 mun a marathon in less than threc hours -having donc so îhrec times in the pasi two years, with his hesi finish among those a 2.54.49 effort last year itn Toroto. He satd the unexpected humidity ssasn't real- ly a factor and that the toc pains he'd been expe- rieîîcîng carlier iti the sseek had pretty much subsided by Sunday. "There svas no real spectttc problems. but around the halfss.y mark my legs just felt heavy and sveren't ssorkîîtg as fluidly as they ought 10. and I was concemted about holding it ail togeth- er. It svas a struggle through the second hait, but 1 can't blamne the weather -any blamne is on me." Sunday's race left Whitlock with senious doubts about his ability to dip under the three- hour mark again. But svith a jump up to the 75-79 age group nexi year. the chatnces of setting another svorld marathon standard appear qutte good. "As far as 1 recaîl. the record in that age class is about 3:14, svhich I'd say is a realistie goal rtght noss." said Whtock. Etght other Miltontans ftnished the regular T.O. marathon this year, tncluding Sandra Cuthbert (3:30.15), Kim Vivian (3:47.03), Michael Theodoulou (4:0)6:33), Amnie Parcels (4:14.30). Claire Anderson (4:27.58), John Delanty (4:30.53), Michael Suklje (4:38.35> and Laurie Lindberg (5:04.30). Fclloss Miltontans Robert Aspinail (4:48.11), Mtranda Robinson (4:58.05) and Heidi Dickson (5:18.23) completed the early bird marathon. But seasoned marathoner flot quite able to stay under three-hour mark this time