KEY POINTS:
Liza Hunter-Galvan carved three minutes off her personal best in qualifying for the Beijing Olympic Games when she finished fifth in the Amsterdam marathon yesterday.
She clocked two hours 30 minutes 40 seconds.
Hunter-Galvan's previous best - 2hr 33min 51sec - was set in Dallas in December 2005.
The women's section was won by Magdaline Chemjor, of Kenya, in 2hr 28min 16sec. Emmanuel Mutai, also of Kenya, was the overall winner in 2hr 6min 29sec.
Hunter-Galvan, 38 and an Aucklander now living in Texas, competed in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics, the 2005 world championships in Helsinki and the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
The standard for selection in the marathon at next year's Beijing Olympics is 2hr 33min.
Meanwhile, David Sim, of North Harbour Bays, won the New Zealand 50km road walk in 5hr 15min 20sec on a circuit around the Coolstores at Whakatu on Sunday.
Michelle Lei, of Palmerston North, won the senior women's 15km walk for the third consecutive time, clocking 1hr 28min 27sec, nearly five minutes ahead of teammate Susan Hoskin. Lei has also won the New Zealand 10km walk title for the last three years and is the 3000m track walk champion. The junior titles were won by Nathaniel Shaw from South Canterbury and Kelly Mabbett of Hamilton City Hawks.
Men
Senior 50km: David Sim (North Habour Bays) 5hr 15min 20sec 1.
Men's 19, 20km: Nathaniel Shaw (South Canterbury) 1h 52m 31s 1.
Men's 16, 10km: Daniel Lord (South Canterbury) 57m 49s 1.
Women
Senior 15km: Michelle Lei (Palmerston North) 1hr 28min 27sec 1, Susan Hoskin (Palmerston North) 1hr 33min 14sec 2, Allanah Gore (Hamilton) 1hr 42min 39sec 3, Hannah Minot (Wellington Scott) 1hr 54min 4sec 4.
Women's 19 15km: Kelly Mabbett (Hamilton) 1hr 35min 17sec 1, Alison Samson (Wellington) 1hr 42min 16sec 2, Elizabeth McKay (Hastings) 1hr 46min 40sec 3.
Masters 20km: 35-39: Katie Tahere (New Plymouth) 2hr 26min 10sec 1. 50-54: Christine Hocking (LakeCity Rotorua) 2hr 31min 34sec 1. 55-59: Marlene White (New Plymouth) 2hr 22min 36sec 1.
- NZPA
