Dick Quax's 31-year-old 5000m record smashed

Runner Adrian Blincoe erased Dick Quax's long-standing New Zealand 5000m record at an athletics meet in Belgium overnight.

United States-based Blincoe, 28, clocked 13 minutes, 10.19 seconds, slashing 07.09sec off his personal best in finishing 11th at the Heusden-Zolder international meeting.

It broke Quax's record of 13min 12.86sec, a world record time set in 1977 at the DN Galan meeting in Stockholm.

Blincoe, who will run the distance at the Beijing Olympics, said it felt good to get the record under his belt before the Games which begin on August 8.

"I'm absolutely delighted for Adrian," Quax, 60, said today.

"I spoke to him in February, and he told me then that he wanted to have a crack at that record.

"I have held the national 5000m record since 1972 and the 1977 time has been there for a long time.

" I've said for some years that it's time for someone to have that record – I'm delighted that he's done it.

Quax said Blincoe's performance was encouraging and indicated he could well make the finals in Beijing.

"I think we got a very good team going to Beijing in track and field ... (besides Blincoe) we've got Nick Willis and Kimberley Smith and Valerie Vili is one of the favourites in the shot put."

Athletics NZ chief executive Scott Newman said it was a fantastic perforance from Blincoe. " We're just absorbing it today."

The event was won by Morocco's Mourad Marofit in 13min 02.84 with Levy Matebo of Kenya (13:03.04) second and Rizki Monder of Belgium (13:04.06) third.

-NZPA