Mildred "Millie" Sampson (born 13 February 1933) is a former
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
long-distance runner who is recognized by the
International Association of Athletics Federations as having set a
world best in the
marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
on 21 July 1964, with a time of 3:19:33 in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, New Zealand.
[
] Sampson was reportedly encouraged to enter the marathon at the
Owairaka Athletic Club
The Owairaka Athletic Club is an amateur athletics sports club based at the Lovelock Track in the suburb of Owairaka, Auckland. The club was founded at Anderson Park, Mt Albert in 1943 and moved to its present site in the 1960s with the constructi ...
by the men she trained with, including
Olympians Bill Baillie and
Ivan Keats
Ivan Keats (16 April 1937 – 27 August 2020) was a New Zealand long-distance runner. He competed in the marathon at the 1964 Summer Olympics.
References
External links
*
1937 births
2020 deaths
Athletes (track and field) at th ...
.
According to Sampson, Keats believed her participation would attract attention to the marathon and his running club which was organizing the event.
Sampson, reported as having been fatigued due to dancing the previous night and having had no breakfast the morning of the race, ate ice cream and chocolate during the last few miles of the race.
Reports after the race described her as a mother,
which was untrue.
Biography
In the only other marathon that Sampson ever ran, her 3:13:58 in
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
on 9 May 1970 was good enough for the sixth best woman's time in the world that year.
She is a three-time national champion in
cross country (1966, 1968, 1972)
and won unofficial national titles in the event from 1963 to 1965.
As of 2008, Sampson worked at a
drycleaner
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water.
Dry cleaning still involves liquid, but clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent. Tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), known in ...
s.
Notes
References
1933 births
World record setters in athletics (track and field)
New Zealand female marathon runners
Living people
New Zealand female long-distance runners
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