“wronging the-el “International. Marathon’ two - -weeks ago, ‘you saw a ., decidedly different: use of : a energy and talent. “Neil, youngest i in the: ne race! ‘covered » the 26-mile, 385- yard. course. that.. twisted through... .downtown . Vancou- ver,, the East End, and Stanley Park in three hours, ‘:10 minutes and. 39. seconds. He placed 298th out of some . 900°. runners—almost: ~ all adults. oon _—— A ‘slim seventh-grader at” Chartwell Elementary School | in.. West: Vancouver, . Neil: . weighs 71 «Ibs. and ‘stands 4‘8”.. He went out for the school track team in grade three, and he’s been running . ever since. LL. Neil started asa sprinter, ‘ joing the Nor‘westers’ Track -Club four years ago.: He switched to distance running ‘about. a. year ago,’ when schoolmates started .beating him-in the sprints. He still competes in the 100, 200, hurdles, . and. high, jump during t the summer ‘season. A - FATHER AND SON TEAM - thing in between “tot veetting: biris orepiaat, 3,. Stealing, and fighting,” said. sl nepherdt in Sha seepenre’s Wiser Tale.’ 7 Neil’ a. Vancouver radiologist, also ‘enjoys running and placed 516th i in the Marathon, about - _ 17 iminutes’ after his young - son crossed the: finish line. - Melver followed’ Neil-into the - Nor’westers when he found . “they had a masters’ group for: : ° those: over. 40° yeats. ~ . 7 “Dad | ‘used. to beat me,"’ him for the first’ time. We ran along the sea. wall at Mission Beach. ; ‘Dad thought | distance running was bad: “for me,’’ explained Neil._‘‘He said§ was foo young and should stick to sprinting. He still _ thinks I should only run one marathon a year plus a few six-mile races. He’d really father, John Mclver,. . said -Neil. “7. often went — . distance running ‘with him, ‘and each. time -I got closer. Then, * ‘two. years “ago, on vacation in San Diego, Ibeat . obiect to two or three | mrathons.’’, There’s lots of controver- sey over kids under 15. . running _. the marathon distance. ‘Some fear the 40 to 60 miles per week training. THE MARATHON BEHIND him, Nell looks for another challenge. (Jim McDowell photo) 1172 Woat 3rd &t., (3rd & Pemberton, right beside the ICBC claima centre) North Vancouver + collision repairs = body painting Complete foreign & domestic auto body service by skilled techniclans specializing In foreign cars Mercedes, Volvo, BMW COACH 7 COLLISION REPAIRS LTD. > 385 yardrun. may cause - permanent damage to legs and knees.~ Others say the psychological experience is too tough for youngsters. So Neil thought the mara- thon was something ~ he'd have to do later in life. But in January he started thinking about it again after reading © Runner’s World and The Marathoner magazines. “They play down the mara- thon for kids,’” Neil told me, ‘*but Lread about a nine year old that did it. When I heard about the Vancouver Mara- thon, I talked to may dad again."’ ‘GO AHEAD’ “*I could tell he didn’t want me to run,’’ said Neil, ‘‘and I didn’t want to ge against his wishes. So I waited until said, ‘Go ahead if you really _want to, but be careful and get properly trained."’ Neil and his dad trained together, running 40 to SO miles a week in Stanely and Ambleside Parks. They usually ran six to 15 miles; only once did they go 18 miles. But Neil had no doubts about making the 26 mile marathon distance. Now he knows better. **Those last three miles were tough!"’ said Neil. ‘‘l should have been running 60 miles a weck or more.’’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 63 987-2211 A GREAT FINISH for a toneh little competitor. Nell Mclver, 12, crosses s the line » at the end of the re eueling 26 mil Just this once, taste Bacardi rum. before you add anything. Isa beautiful way to see why Bacardi goes so with soda, water, ginger and almost anything else. | BACARDI rum , oh, v >?