Rod Dixon inspiring a new generation

New Zealand athletics great Rod Dixon, left, with Kerry Hill at Tauranga Domain yesterday. Photo / John Borren

When it comes to New Zealand athletic royalty the name Rod Dixon is right at the top.

For 17 years he was one of the best middle distance runners in the world. He won bronze in the 1500m at the Munich Olympics in 1972, is a two-time world cross-country champion and the 1500m champion in New Zealand, United States, France and Great Britain.

In 1983 he won the New York Marathon in a time that is still the fastest by any New Zealand and last November was inducted into the Marathon Hall of Fame.

Now 66, Dixon is focused on getting kids moving and becoming healthier through his unique Rod Dixon Kids Marathon Foundation programme. He began it in Auckland but living in Los Angeles since 2002 he has focused on spreading the health message throughout the USA.

Now he wants every kid in New Zealand aged 5-12 to be part of the life-changing programme to run a marathon-length 42.2km over 8-10 weeks in their schools.

The mantra he has based his programme on is "finishing is winning and winning is finishing".

"It really began when Sir Edmund Hillary came to my school when I was 10 and he said Mt Everest is not high enough for your goals, your dreams and your aspirations," Dixon said.

"Just 12 years later I am at the Olympic Games winning a medal. I went and saw Sir Edmund at his house and showed him the medal and he asked me to promise him I would inspire the next generation."

Dixon started a fun run for kids north of Auckland after the 1990 Commonwealth Games. He went to all the schools in a 50km radius who joined up to his kids marathon concept.

"For 10 years I did that programme then I shifted to LA to help run the marathon and I took my programme with me. I have 37,000 kids in that programme every year in the Los Angeles school district and then spread it to other states," Dixon said.

"It is about building up the kids' aerobic capacity and the principles of Arthur Lydiard. I am working with Lorraine Moller on a Lydiard certification for teachers and parents to be empowered with the knowledge of how to get kids moving."

Dixon says every kid in New Zealand will benefit from the programme. It is also a lot of fun with training guides designed for young minds, with colouring-in pages, stickers and cartoon characters.

"This programme is about the hare and the tortoise. Every kid knows that story worldwide."

Tauranga-based athletics coach Kerry Hill, who attended Waimea College with Dixon, is working closely with Sport BOP to get the programme up and running in Bay of Plenty schools.

"We got it going in Nelson and South Auckland has been going for three years. We are looking to kick it off here soon," Hill said.

"I have trialled it at Bethlehem School for the last two years and their whole primary school of 500 pupils has done it.

"Now that Rod's home it is timely. It is pretty easy to get it around the schools just by explaining the concept to them and showing them the benefits."

Information: www.kidsmarathonfoundation.co.nz.